The Importance of Transversal Skills in Higher Education Curricula for Today's Labor Market

Almeida, Filomena; Simoes, E. V.; Mauritti, Rosário; Casquilho-Martins, Inês

doi:10.21125/inted.2018.1669

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…These objectives address the need to respond and adapt flexibility to the changes and challenges of globalisation. The topics of education and transversals skills reinforce the importance of competencies that we traditionally associate with the concept of soft skills and seek to correspond to the demands of the labour market and globalisation, as well as to adaptation, autonomy and proactivity in other dimensions of lifelong learning [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transversal Competencies for Employability: From Higher Education to the Labour Market

2022

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Aligning learning goals with the needs of the labour market is a difficult task for universities, especially in the present day. Although organisations seek professionals with flexible and varied skills, universities often underestimate the importance of cross-curricular skills. Thus, this article aims to identify the perception of recent graduates as to the importance of the transversal skills that they acquired and developed at university and the ways in which they are now applied in the work environment. In this exploratory study, we sent a questionnaire to recent graduates that allowed us to analyse the development and applicability of these competencies in organisations. The results are further discussed within the broader framework of how universities adapt to the strong socio-economic challenges that characterise current times and the integration of recent graduates into the labour market.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transversal Competencies for Employability: From Higher Education to the Labour Market

2022

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“…Considering the Bologna process and the necessity to promote students' competences [3][4][5], several pedagogical innovations have gained interest and enthusiasm in educational contexts. It is imperative that university institutions and educators reflect on the adequacy of the institution and the program to guarantee the most optimal alignment with the vision and mission of the institution, as well as to achieve the learning objectives of the program.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These challenges have had a profound impact on the redefinition of the mission of university institutions in terms of teaching and research, with particular emphasis on raising qualifications and preventing students form dropping out [2], promoting the personal development of students through their academic, personal, social, and professional adjustment [3], taking into account the growing importance of employability [4,5] and, in particular, the development of more transversal and generic thinking skills also known as soft skills. These concepts began to take shape following the report published in 1972, by Edgar Faure, entitled "Learning to be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pedagogical Innovation with Sense? A Seminal Experiment of Service-Learning in Gerontological Social Work

Vieira da Silva,

Gonçalves,

Petrella

et al. 2024

Trends in Higher Education

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Higher education institutions have been investing in teachers’ professional development and pedagogical innovation, on the one hand, aiming to promote the quality of institutions and, on the other hand, aiming to promote students’ personal and academic development. One of the methodologies that has received particular attention is service-learning, which aims to promote students’ learning by providing a service to vulnerable community groups. In this study, we aim to present the results of the application of this methodology in a fourth-year social work course. To this end, a mixed-methods study was conducted with 10 students in the Contemporary Social Work III course using the service-learning methodology. Students experienced between 15 and 30 h of service-learning, most of them for 7 weeks or more in an elder care institution, with varied activities such as social consulting and home visits. When we tried to understand the students’ perceived impact, we found higher mean scores in the post-test, with statistically significant differences on several dimensions, particularly self-confidence, problem solving, adaptability and flexibility, dealing with diversity and multiculturalism, understanding complex social issues, and a sense of purpose and life. These data are aligned with the qualitative analysis, which identified six themes such as the integration of practice and theory, development of skills, positive impact on academic training, valuing practical experience, reflective and meaningful learning, and support and guidance. The results highlight the value of pedagogical innovation for students’ skills, especially when it is aligned with the identity and mission of the institution and the values of the study program.

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“…Taken together, cognitive, socio-emotional, and job-specific skills make up a broader category, which this study refers to as transversal skills in today's workplace; these are also called generic skills. They represent an association between the soft skills related to problem-solving, teamwork, motivation, and communication and cognitive skills such as sharing information, collaborating, and negotiating, but also encompass information and communication technology and languages (Almeida et al, 2018;Goggin et al, 2019). These go beyond the confines of specific fields of study and occupational applications.…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the Determinants and Extent of Morocco’s Education and Skill Mismatch Through the STEP Survey

Draissi

Rong

2023

SAGE Open

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This study aimed to comprehend the patterns and scope of the education mismatch in the Moroccan labor market by collecting and analyzing an extensive database of the types of skills that fuel economic expansion and growth. A self-assessment approach was used to determine the extent of mismatch in Morocco by adopting the World Bank’s Skills Toward Employment and Productivity (STEP) survey, which applies mainly to low- and middle-income countries. The study sample consisted of 416 respondents who matched the stipulated criteria. Various statistical tests like the descriptive test, chi-square, and Spearman’s r coefficient were employed to determine the correlation between the three modules of the STEP program and demographic aspects of the respondents. Under the self-assessment approach, the results showed a preponderance of mismatched employees at 55.1%, while 44.9% were matched. The mismatch was found to be vertical. The findings imply that cognitive skills are statistically significant with the required job-specific skills. This is one of the few studies that address the skill mismatch in the North African region and the first to examine the Moroccan case.

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The Importance of Transversal Skills in Higher Education Curricula for Today's Labor Market

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Transversal Competencies for Employability: From Higher Education to the Labour Market

Transversal Competencies for Employability: From Higher Education to the Labour Market

Pedagogical Innovation with Sense? A Seminal Experiment of Service-Learning in Gerontological Social Work

Estimating the Determinants and Extent of Morocco’s Education and Skill Mismatch Through the STEP Survey

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