IMPACT OF DIGITALIZATION ON THE CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF SPECIALISTS FOR INDUSTRY 4.0

Abstract

Digitalization of continuing professional education for Industry 4.0 specialists is caused by
the contradiction between the growing need for specialists’ skills development in Industry 4.0
and the impossibility of traditional education to realize mass training of specialists in conditions
of their intensive labor activity, rapid updating of production technologies, and digitalization.
Meeting the educational and professional needs of specialists, a digitalization model was proposed
that included: informing of potential learners about advanced training programs, electronic
educational environment, electronic educational content, electronic communications for educational
and pedagogical interaction, and digital tools. The measures to increase digital literacy of
learners are offered. The model was tested in empirical research, involving more than 4000 learners.
To solve the research tasks observation, questionnaires, study and analysis of the students' outcomes
were used. The indicators achieved statistically important difference that is 1.2–2 times
compared with the indicators of previous years.