This article addresses the issue of qualitative mismatch between the professional education system and the needs of the industrial sector in the context of economic digitalization. The focus of the study is Pavlodar Region, one of the key industrial regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Based on the analysis of digital, professional, adaptive, and behavioral competencies of graduates from vocational and higher educational institutions, the existence of a stable competence gap was identified, manifested in the discrepancy between graduate training and employer expectations. The study employed expert surveys, vacancy analysis, and content analysis of educational programs, as well as comparative assessment of the level of competence formation from the perspective of industrial employers. The findings reveal the most significant gaps in digital and practice-oriented skills, as well as in behavioral attributes essential for effective workplace adaptation. The article presents quantitative assessments of these discrepancies and proposes a structural-functional model for bridging the competence gap. Practical recommendations are formulated to enhance the alignment between the labor market and the education system, including the development of dual education, employer participation in curriculum design, and the creation of industrial training sites