Students' ideas about the psychological safety of the professional activity

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution is transforming the world of work, presenting new requirements for the competencies, skills, and psychological characteristics of future specialists. The article discusses the issue of the professional activity psychological safety in the context of global technological changes in the macroenvironment. Students' ideas about professional activity psychological safety form their ability to adapt to changing labor conditions during the fourth industrial revolution. The article presents the narrative analysis results of students' ideas about the professional activities psychological safety at the Ural State Economic University and the Ural Federal University and human resource management major. In the study, the criteria for the safety of future workplaces were chosen: situation assessment as threatening or safe, external and internal protection resources assessment, as well as awareness of innovative processes in professional activities. The author identified four groups of respondents with different perceptions types about threats in professional activity. It was found that the professional activity psychological safety in the respondents' perceptions is determined by the assessment of the changes in the requirements for their competencies and the ability to cope with the expected changes. The study results showing that the majority of students have a low and medium awareness level of innovative processes in their professional sphere and ill-preparedness for the development of the necessary competencies, which poses a threat to their psychological safety and well-being in their future workplace. Awareness of technological innovations, soft and digital competencies development focus, readiness for continuous learning, timely risks and threats assessment of Industry 4.0 are important factors in ensuring the psychological safety of workers in future workplaces.