Stakeholder’s Perspectives of the Twenty-First Century Skills

Abstract

Today, the shift toward technology industries has made the applicable skills in high demand in the workforce. However, job training and education in general have not changed enough to keep up with the on-going trends. Concerns over the skills gap in our global workforce have exploded. In response to the demands of labor market and to close the skills gap, educational institution should focus on supporting skill development to cultivate the competencies that students need, making education in twenty-first century skills essential to prepare the students for the new and unknown in this fast-changing world of technology. This research aims to investigate the importance of twenty-first century skills for the employability of undergraduate students. The findings indicate that twenty-first century skills are the needed employability attributes, which transcend beyond qualifications and experience, that employers are looking for. It is also discovered from this study that the most effective way to attain twenty-first century skill is to focus on integrating twenty-first century knowledge and skills into the education support systems for our nation to realize its goal of successfully meeting the challenge of the twenty-first century.

Employability skills from employers' perspectives in indigenous contexts: empirical evidence

“…This concept of employability is in line with Gazier's (1998) definition of employability as an arrangement of individual responsibility and adaptation with shared primacies and labor market opportunities, which supports the concept of transferable skills for “lifetime employability” by Forrier and Sels (2003) and Indeed (2021). Gazier's (1998) definition is supported by Mahmud and Wong (2022) and Mohan et al. (2018).…”

“…This concept of employability is in line with Gazier's (1998) definition of employability as an arrangement of individual responsibility and adaptation with shared primacies and labor market opportunities, which supports the concept of transferable skills for "lifetime employability" by Forrier and Sels (2003) and Indeed (2021). Gazier's (1998) definition is supported by Mahmud and Wong (2022) and Mohan et al (2018). While Mohan et al's (2018) findings are summarized as essential employability skills, include team working, accountability, cooperation, adaptation and others; Mahmud and Wong (2022) outline that employers look for employability attributes beyond experience and qualifications in the twenty-first century.…”

“…While Mohan et al. ’s (2018) findings are summarized as essential employability skills, include team working, accountability, co-operation, adaptation and others; Mahmud and Wong (2022) outline that employers look for employability attributes beyond experience and qualifications in the twenty-first century. Thus, the content of employability skills varies in different scenarios and eras.…”

Digital age: The importance of 21st century skills among the undergraduates

“…Whether they are taught directly or indirectly, these skills are often predominantly embedded into the curriculum to cultivate important characteristics for students to be successful, both in the context of their education and eventually work (Ball et al, 2016). 21st century skills characterize and denote a representation of the past professional skills which are now deemed obsolete due to the rapid technological change (Kereluik et al, 2013;Mahmud and Wong, 2022). These skills are defined by broad categories comprising of thinking (e.g., creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, learning to learn), working with others (e.g., communication, collaboration/teamwork), facility with tools (e.g., information literacy, communications technology literacy), and general life skills (e.g., citizenship, life and career management, personal and social responsibility, cultural awareness).…”

Implementing the Montessori approach in an undergraduate marketing course: A case study

“…In addition, a more holistic approach to education can also support developing skills that are compelling for hiring managers who value twenty-first century competencies such as collaboration, communication, and problem-solving as they relate to job performance (Mahmud and Wong, 2022). While candidates with necessary technology skills are scarce, employers also see gaps in new graduates' having the adaptability and flexibility necessary to succeed in the rapidly changing workplace.…”