Twenty-First-Century Skills That Najran University Students Must Possess From the Perspective of Employers and Faculty Members

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the most essential twenty-first-century skills that Najran University students must possess from the perspective of employers and faculty members. The researchers used a simple random sampling method to select the study sample, which consisted of 219 faculty members (117) and labor market managers (102). Previous studies in scientific journals on twenty-first-century skills were reviewed, and 18 skills were extracted and distributed into 4 basic skills that graduates must possess. Then, the scale's validity and reliability were verified. Subsequently, these skills were approved as the main skills that graduates must focus on and acquire. The study results showed that professional skills and professional ethics score in first place with a percentage of 82.6%, learning and innovation skills in second place with a percentage of 81, digital culture skills in third place with a percentage of 80.6%, and personal and life skills in fourth place with a percentage of 80.2%. The results also showed statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between the means of the responses of the study sample members regarding the suitability of the twenty-first-century skills required by Najran University students from the point of view of employers and faculty members. Skills came in favor of the labor market. The study recommended the need to work on empowering university students with twenty-firstcentury skills. Also, cooperation is recommended between the university and the labor market regarding the skills that graduates must acquire, especially with the rapid changes in the labor market.