In the dissertation, a comprehensive study of theoretical and methodological foundations is carried out and practical recommendations for the expansion of human development opportunities in the transition to the information economy are developed.
It is substantiated that the expansion of human development opportunities through the spread of information and communication technologies is an important socio-economic priority of the country, which is extremely important for ensuring balanced development of the national economy, innovative development of social and labor sphere, overcoming the systemic crisis.
Systematization and assessment of the impact of social and labor factors on the expansion of human development in the information economy were performed, in which, unlike other approaches, groups of factors were isolated and areas of positive and negative impact on human development in the information economy were identified.
A theoretical and methodological approach to assessing the possibilities of human development in the information economy was developed, which takes into account all the defining dimensions of human development and, unlike others, contains a block of indicators that reflects the possibilities of implementing information technology in the economy.
The Integrated Index of Human Development Opportunities in the Information Economy is proposed. It is determined by the geometric mean and combines the following four partial indices and relevant indicators: Index of possibility of implementation of information technology in the economy, Index of opportunities in the field of education, Index of opportunities in the field of health care; Index of opportunities in the social and labor sphere.
Target references were identified and the human development opportunities in the social and labor sphere were assessed, which took into account the results of national and international research in this field, and also constitute an important basis for developing recommendations for a more effective use of these opportunities in the environment of expanding information and communications technology.
Priority areas for expanding human development opportunities in the social and labor sphere in the context of digital technology proliferation were proposed, which provide for the widest possible integration of digital technologies into social and labor processes at the macro level (digitalization of government, especially the activities of the Ministry of Social Policy, the State Employment Service and its structural units in the regions; expanding opportunities for the public to receive official information from government agencies online; using modern financial instruments to enhance human development opportunities in the environment of expanding information and communications technology, etc.), and at enterprises – introduction of modern information systems and methods of personnel training and development, priority financing of digitization programs at enterprises, gradual introduction of digital innovative solutions in all types of economic activity, gradual transition to economy 4.0, etc.
A conceptual approach to empowering human development in the field of education in the environment of transition toward the information economy has been developed, which combines modern educational tools, priority areas of education reform and integration of the national education system into the global educational services market.
The priority areas and corresponding financial support instruments for the expansion of human development opportunities in the environment of information and communications technology proliferation are identified. This framework primarily outlines: a) in the educational sphere – a wider implementation of fundraising, expansion of practice of project financing through crowd-funding and the use of international payment systems, development of cooperation between business and universities, etc.; b) in the field of health care – further development of insurance medicine, the use of E-Health system, improving the quality of public and private medical services, etc.; c) in the social and labor sphere – gradual introduction of unconditional basic income, development of online financing systems for business projects (the use of crowd-funding platforms and other innovative tools for financing business projects); diversification of financial support sources for households, which is associated with the spread of innovative forms of employment, etc.
Keywords: human development, information economy, social and labor sphere, education, health care, digital technologies, financial support tools, global market of educational services, productive employment, targets.
