Status, Influencing Factors, and Career Impact of Digital Competence and AI Literacy Among Vocational Undergraduate Students a Mixed-Methods Study in Vocational Education

The rapid evolution of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has made digital competence and AI literacy critical for vocational undergraduate students’ career success. This mixed-methods study investigates the proficiency levels, influencing factors, and career impacts of these competencies among 579 students at a Chinese vocational institution. Digital competence was assessed across five dimensions—information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, problem-solving, and safety—while AI literacy was integrated as a sixth dimension. Quantitative findings reveal strengths in communication and collaboration (M = 3.30, SD = 0.89) and safety (M = 3.25, SD = 0.92), but relative weaknesses in digital content creation (M = 2.88, SD = 0.88) and problem-solving (M = 2.90, SD = 0.87). Training opportunities and self-efficacy significantly predict both competencies, explaining 60.4% and 63.7% of the variance in digital competence and AI literacy, respectively. These competencies enhance career readiness (R2 = 0.569) and employability (R2 = 0.455), with AI literacy showing a stronger effect on employability (β = 0.43, p < 0.001). Qualitative analysis of 299 open-ended responses identified six themes: limited training depth, practical experience gaps, data analysis difficulties, digital divide, ethical concerns, and accessibility gaps. The findings, supported by high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.821–0.909) and moderate construct validity (81.1% variance explained), underscore the need for curriculum reform in vocational education to address these gaps and prepare students for AI-driven industries.