Transformation of the RESPO Decision Support System to Higher Education for Monitoring Sustainability-Related Competencies

Abina, Andreja; Cestnik, Bojan; Lukman, Rebeka Kovačič; Zavernik, Sara; Ogrinc, Matevž; Zidanšek, Aleksander

doi:10.3390/su15043477

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…will be needed in the future. One of approaches to new models are also developed and used innovative digital tools as decision support systems that will enable students to develop their skills through formal and informal lifelong learning to make it easier to adapt to new jobs that will require skills, such as creativity, innovation, empathy, critical thinking, problem-solving, selfmanagement and information technology (Abina et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Need for Creative Competencies in Engineering Education

Torp,

Andalib,

Temeljotov Salaj

2024

International Academic Conference on Places and Technologies

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There is a need to develop new competencies and skills besides STEM that students and teachers acquire during the implementation of formal and non-formal education and to facilitate their integration into Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. In the RESPO project, the new competencies were identifi ed with the business stakeholders by conducting a survey among industry partners to recognize the requirements for the future labour market. The stakeholders in the fi eld of sustainable renovation of buildings act as target groups for monitoring and development of the competencies. Based on the survey, the competencies companies mostly miss from their employees, and the most important for performing work in positions that require higher education are identifi ed. The competencies were divided into three groups: individual, communication and management, and IT skills. Innovation and system and analytical thinking were the competencies in the fi rst group that companies defi ned as competencies that are highly important to develop. The management and planning of processes, technologies, and people´s work was the competency considered as lacking among employees and important to be developed for the future. Advanced data/IT skills, business, and entrepreneurial skills were the competencies in the third group that companies defi ned as key competencies expected to be developed in 21st-century higher education employees. It is highly important to consider the job market needs for development and to adopt the engineering education system to be responsive to the needs of labour market. The competencies and skills defi ned in this study as the ones needed to be developed will be implemented in the educational system with the aim of developing an educational system that supports students for career development in line with the labour market requirement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Technical knowledge is related to the application of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to a specifi c fi eld, career or task, such as civil engineering (Soo Boon, 2019, Abina et al 2022, Abina et al 2023. The UNESCO framework for STEM competences is summarised in Figure 1.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Need for Creative Competencies in Engineering Education

Torp,

Andalib,

Temeljotov Salaj

2024

International Academic Conference on Places and Technologies

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“…The project aimed to identify competency gaps among students in selected study programmes and employers' demands. This was done by optimising an innovative Results-oriented Engagement System for Performance Optimisation (RESPO) [12] and individualised interdisciplinary training for students. Both activities were carried out in the framework of the RESPO-VI project by three partners from Slovenia and one from Norway.…”

Section: History Of the Development Of The Respo Decision Support Sys...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later, the system was transferred to educational institutions, namely to one of the secondary schools in Slovenia, to monitor the development of competencies of secondary school students. Finally, we decided to transfer the use of the system to higher education institutions [12]. The database architecture, the nomenclature of basic terminology, and the functionality of the original RESPO online system have been transformed into a new format suitable for HEIs and students.…”

Section: History Of the Development Of The Respo Decision Support Sys...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It can be used to guide employers' decisions on retraining, upskilling, and reallocating skills among employees. Moreover, according to WEF reports [12], we can see how the list of the ten most important job skills has changed over the last ten years and the expectations for the next decade (Figure 4). The list suggests that future workers and job seekers will need to develop more analytical, critical, systematic, innovative, and creative skills.…”

Section: Different But Similar Conceptions and Taxonomy Of Key Compet...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenging 21st-Century Competencies for STEM Students: Companies’ Vision in Slovenia and Norway in the Light of Global Initiatives for Competencies Development

Abina,

Temeljotov Salaj,

Cestnik

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Rapid technological innovations are changing the jobs that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students are employed in after completing their education. Therefore, employers are looking for applicants with skills beyond the specialised professional competencies that can be acquired in the chosen subjects during formal education. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have an important role to play in this process, as they endeavour to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge for future jobs. Our study aims to identify the key competencies that Slovenian and Norwegian companies expect from graduates of selected STEM degree programmes in both countries. Based on these findings, the participating HEIs can tailor their degree programmes to the employability requirements of companies. This study first analysed European and international recommendations and initiatives relevant to skills development in STEM employment and education. We selected 30 key competencies and included them in the questionnaires in which companies’ human resources managers (HRMs) defined their attitudes towards employability skills in the future. We focused on companies employing graduates of the Ecotechnologies and Civil and Environmental Engineering programmes of the participating HEIs. The analysis of the results showed that companies in the two countries have different attitudes towards skills. Four competencies were identified as more important in both countries: (i) management and design of processes, technologies, and people’s work, (ii) adaptation to changes, (iii) ability to manage uncertainty, and (iv) innovation. Based on the analysis, we have developed a framework of ten employability skills for STEM students. In addition, this study provides the basis for operating a decision support system (DSS) to monitor the development of students’ competencies. The DSS is being developed as part of the RESPO-VI project supported by the Norway Grants to better match the skills of STEM students as future job seekers with the needs of potential employers. The study’s results will also help other formal and non-formal education adapt their curricula and thus reduce the employability skill gaps between current STEM education and future labour market needs.

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