Proposed structural model for teaching digital skills and university dropout: case study

University dropout, with its complexity of causes, has become a crucial issue, especially in the context of the pandemic. This study specifically addresses the relationship between the lack of teaching digital skills and dropout at UTESA-Corporate System during the Covid-19 crisis. Adopting an ex post facto approach and an explanatory associative strategy, 322 teachers and 373 dropout students were surveyed. Both groups were selected from broader populations, and surveys with multiple choice questions and Likert scales were administered. The analysis was based on a relational structural model with 9 constructs and 16 hypotheses, supported in part by statistical tools such as SMART-PLS v4.0 and SPSS v29.1. The conclusions highlight that the lack of digital skills in teachers significantly impacts student dropout, attributing this to insufficient training in the use of digital media. This lack contributes to students' low motivation and negative attitude toward the learning process, underscoring the need to strengthen teaching digital skills to improve student retention.