Evaluation of pre-service teachers' digital skills and ICT competencies in context of the demands of the 21st century

21st century has seen the emergence of digital skills as a crucial ability with profound effects on employment, education, and social relationships, among other facets of life. The best talents to teach are the subject of study by those who establish educational policies. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between information and communication technology competency (ICTC) and digital abilities. It focuses on which of the digital skills sub-dimensions has a greater impact on ICTC and how this impact varies by country, age, and gender. This study employed a quantitative research design to evaluate the association between ICTC and various digital skills. The sample group consisted of 620 university students from Russia and Kazakhstan. Digital skills were measured using a scale adapted for the Russian context, while ICTC scale was first adapted for the Russian context following language validity steps. The study also conducted path analysis to determine the impact of ICTC on digital skill dimensions and multigroup path analysis to assess effects according to different independent variables. The study found that certain dimensions of digital skills, specifically "use of digital tools", "communication of digital content", and "creation of digital content", significantly influence ICTC. However, "management of digital content", "digital security", and "digital empathy" dimensions did not show a significant effect. The impact of these dimensions varied significantly across different demographic groups, suggesting that digital skills and ICTC development may differ among these groups. The findings highlight the need for tailored strategies to develop and promote digital skills and ICTC, considering these demographic differences.