Predicting students’ work world awareness through their readiness and competency for the digital world

Abstract

In the current fast-paced digital work environment, it has become crucial for individuals to cultivate a deep understanding of the constantly changing nature of the job market. With jobs and career paths becoming increasingly indistinct and unpredictable, developing awareness of the digital work world is more important than ever. This research empirically investigated the degree to which the world of work readiness and competency of distance learning students could serve as predictors for their digital work world awareness. Data were collected from (N = 486) full-time employed undergraduate students at a comprehensive South African distance learning institution. Regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used in the cross-sectional, quantitative study. The study emphasised the significance of developing job certitude, business ingenuity and socio-digital agility as part of students’ career development learning to improve their awareness of the digital work environment. The study enhanced comprehension of the implicit function of students’ work readiness and competency in relation to significant digital-era awareness.