Features of the formation and use of human capital in the agricultural sector in the context of the digital economy

The boom in digital technologies places new demands on human resources. There is a growing trend in demand for highly qualified and creative specialists. At the same time, the new technological order places new demands on human capital in agriculture and on the education system, which acts as a strategic tool for its formation. The purpose of the study is to define the conceptual foundations of a new education system capable of training personnel for the agricultural sector, taking into account the challenges of the digital economy. The methodological basis of the research is the concept of the «knowledge economy», which proves the inextricable link between the development of production (including agricultural) and the progress of science and education. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the necessity to consider education in two planes: fundamental and practical. From the point of view of the fundamental approach, education is a continuous and purposeful process of human upbringing and education, which implies its development. From the point of view of practical approach, education is considered as a service. It is reduced to the formation and training of special skills and abilities necessary to ensure economic growth of a certain company in specific conditions. Moreover, these approaches are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. More precisely, they should be considered in the form of a hierarchy, where the fundamental approach is the basis, and the practical approach serves as a supplement to the previous one. The practical significance of this study allows us to understand the new role of the education system in modern society.