Mathematical Approaches to Modelling Basic Professional Education Programmes for Personnel Support of Transport Digital Transformation

Purpose: to identify methodological limitations of the existing approaches to designing Basic Professional Education Programmes (BPEP) and to develop a conceptual framework for a new mathematical approach aimed at addressing personnel needs for the digital transformation of the transport sector. Methods: systematic and comparative analysis of existing approaches to modelling Basic Professional Education Programmes. The proposed solution employs graph theory and data mining techniques as conceptual tools. Results: a BPEP classification of design approaches was carried out, revealing their insufficient adaptability to the dynamic demands of high-tech industries. A conceptual mathematical model of Basic Professional Education Programme was proposed, systematically integrating the programme internal structure (disciplines, prerequisites) with external requirements derived from professional standards and current labour market data in the transport sector. The model is based on representing BPEP as a weighted directed graph and introducing an integral quality metric. Practical significance: the study provides a scientific and methodological foundation for transitioning from intuitive, expert-based practices to a research-based, data-driven BPEP design. Implementing the proposed approach will enhance the relevance of educational programmes, reduce adaptation time, and address personnel shortages in areas such as autonomous transport systems, intelligent transport management, and digital logistics.