DIGITAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCES IN UKRAINE AND EUROPE: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

The article is devoted to studying the current state of digitalization in Ukraine and conducting a comparative analysis with similar trends in European countries. To conduct a comparative analysis of the level of digital skills in Ukraine and the countries of the European Union, the following key indicators were considered: access to the Internet, use of e-services and experience of online shopping. It was determined that in Ukraine the percentage of the population with a basic level of digital skills and a level above the basic level is almost 60%, which is quite comparable to the average in the European Union and significantly exceeds the indicators of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The results of the study of the digital skills of Ukrainians indicate that, compared to Europe, the situation in Ukraine regarding access to the Internet and digital skills demonstrates progress, but also indicates certain challenges. Ukraine has made significant improvements in internet access, with the rate of access reaching 93.8% among the adult population in 2023, close to the EU average of around 93%. However, compared to more developed European countries, where internet access in most EU Member States exceeds 90% and in Western and Northern Europe even reaches 98%, Ukraine faces certain barriers, such as insufficient digital skills among a significant part of the population and limited access to infrastructure in some regions. A comparison of statistics on the use of e-services in Ukraine and European countries shows that in Ukraine the use of e-services lags significantly behind European standards: only 39.2% of the population uses online services, which is significantly lower than the level in the EU (70%). The main reason why Ukrainians do not use online services is the lack of need (86.8%), which indicates insufficient dissemination of information and experience. Online shopping in Ukraine and Europe shows similar growth trends, particularly among young people and in popular product categories such as clothing and home goods. However, the share of online shoppers in Ukraine is still lower than in most European countries. The main challenges and barriers for both Ukraine and the EU are the generation gap, differences in access to technology and the Internet between poor and wealthy segments of the population, the shortage of ICT specialists, the difference in access to digital learning between rural and urban areas, the issue of financing digital education programs, and support from governments and the private sector.