Digital Skills for the Early Age Children: How Different Countries Prepare Children for the Future

Digital skills development becomes one of the main issues in the global digitalization context which covers all of the spheres of socio-economic life. Digital literacy has evolved from a useful skill into a critical strategic point for the national security and economic competitiveness. The key challenge for most countries is a growing structural gap between the demand for highly qualified personnel and the current labor market supply. In this context, to overcome such imbalance the development of digital thinking has become essential. International consultations consistently show that the most effective strategy is to integrate digital skills education at an early age. The sooner children begin developing digital thinking and technical skills, the greater the chance they will discover a professional path, build sustainable motivation for the field and achieve more significant career outcomes. This approach significantly boosts the pipeline of highly qualified, innovative talent. The purpose of this study is to analyze and classify the practices used by the world's leading economies and tech hubs in the field of scientific and technological development to nurture digital talents. Our methodology involves a comparative analysis of practical tools to identify the most effective mechanisms for early-stage education and strategies behind developing and applying these specific instruments.