Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Higher Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 28216

Special Issue Editors

Research Group ESCULCA, Department of Pedagogy and Didactics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), 15782 Santiago, Spain
Interests: higher education; development of competences; theory of education; intercultural education
Research Group Policies, Communities and Participation, of the CIIE – Centre for Research and Intervention in Education – Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Interests: health education; medicalization of educational behavior; participation; community intervention; social responsibility
Research Group Education, Citizenship, and Character - Theory and Methods in Education and Psychology Research Department, University of Navarra, 31009 Pamplona, Spain
Interests: citizenship education and social participation; civic and character education; ICTs in schools and universities; quality and reputation in higher education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The university of our times and, foreseeably, of the coming years, will continue to strengthen a conception of learning more closely linked to the development of competences by students than to the mere mastery of academic content in disciplines of graduate or even postgraduate studies.

Without asserting a radical dissociation between the two approaches, the world of employment has long been demanding, from higher education, solid training of its graduates, that is, one capable of combining substantive knowledge in a field with the best skills in order to identify and solve problems in their personal and social sphere of reference. This coincides, in substance, with what was pointed out by certain official reports, such as those deriving from the latest press releases and declarations regarding the European Higher Education Area (Paris, 2018; Rome, 2020), emphasizing the social dimension of higher education and commitment to the professional future of graduates.

The perspective of basing higher education on an approach of adequately defined competences starting from professional requirements and the labor market has led to the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial society, which is clearly more complex. However, the unstoppable globalization of the economy and the consequent acceleration of changes in the productive structure due to the drive of digital technology and the need to manage profound transformations in the cultural sphere due to the intensity of migratory flows, among other factors, have enhanced the role of transversal competences in and for quality higher education, attributing to it potential competitive advantages for access to the labor market.

Admitting a certain ambiguity in the way these competences are conceptualized, they are nevertheless often referred to as ‘key competences’, ‘21st century skills’, or even ‘soft skills’. That is why, it would be difficult to justify their marginalization by higher education institutions when, in addition, they recognize the need for the students to be informed about job opportunities. Hence, the commitment we must make to ensure that students improve the skills that best correlate with such opportunities.

In summary, the scope or purpose of the Special Issue is to develop a deeper, interdisciplinary understanding of how higher education institutions, along with employers and communities, can face up to this challenge. We should incidentally assume that employment of graduates is already incorporating elements linked to capabilities, skills, and dispositions that are less formal than in the past.

Thus, all papers addressing the following subthemes are welcome:

  • Theoretical and epistemological analysis of competences in higher education and their links with the world of employment.
  • Innovation, transversal competences, and employment.
  • Active methodologies and development of transversal competences.
  • Community and practice seen as a context for transversal competences.
  • Non-formal education, social participation, and development of transversal competences.
  • Evaluation of transversal competences.
  • Links between specific and transversal competences.
  • Recognition, validation, and accreditation of transversal competences.
  • Study of transversal competences from the employers’ perspective.
  • Competences for employability in a knowledge society.

Deadlines

  • Full manuscript deadline: 28/02/2022

You may send your manuscript up until the deadline. Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. We also encourage authors to send a short abstract or tentative title to the Editorial Office in advance preferably to [email protected], or the leading guest editor ([email protected]).

References

Azqueta, A., & Naval, C. (2019). Entrepreneurship education: a proposal for human development. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 77(274), 517-533. Doi: 10.22550/REP77-3-2019-03

Hager, P., & Gonczi, A. (1996). What is competence? Medical Teacher, 18(1).

Humburg, M., de Grip, A., & van der Velden, R. K. W. (2017). Which skills protect graduates against a slack labour market? International Labour Review, 156(1), 25-43. Doi: 10.1111/j.1564-913X.2015.00046.x

Kottmann, A., Vossensteyn, J.J., Kolster, R., Veidemane, A., Blasko, Zs., Biagi, F., Sánchez-Barrioluengo, M. (2019). Social Inclusion Policies in Higher Education: Evidence from the EU. Overview of major widening participation policies applied in the EU 28. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Menezes, I., Coelho, M., Amorim, J.P., Gomes, I., Pais, S., & Coimbra, J.L. (2018). Inovação e compromisso social universitário: a universidade “e o chão que ela pisa”. In A. Villa Sánchez (Eds.), Tendencias actuales de las transformaciones de las universidades en una nueva sociedad digital (pp.  395-407). Vigo: Foro Internacional de Innovación Universitaria.

Naval, C. & Arbués, E. (2016). El aprendizaje-servicio y la transición desde la educación superior al mundo del trabajo.  En M.A. Santos Rego, M.A. (Ed.), Sociedad del conocimiento. Aprendizaje e Innovación en la Universidad (pp. 219-246). Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.

Naval, C., & Arbués, E. (2017). El aprendizaje-servicio en la educación superior. Las competencias profesionales. In J. A. Ibáñez Martín & J. L. Fuentes (Eds.), Educación y capacidades: hacia un nuevo enfoque del desarrollo humano (pp. 189-207). Madrid: Dykinson.

Santos Rego, M. A., Ferraces, M. J., Mella, I., & Vázquez Rodríguez, A. (2020). University, civic-social competences, and the Labor market. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 78(276), 213-232. Doi: 10.22550/REP78-2-2020-06.

Santos Rego, M. A., Lorenzo Moledo, M., & Vázquez Rodríguez, A. (2018). Educación no formal y Empleabilidad de la juventud. Madrid: Síntesis.

Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2019). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education. Doi: 10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420

Suleman, F. (2016). Employability Skills of Higher Education Graduates: Little Consensus on a Much-discussed Subject. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 228, 169-174. Doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.07.025

Prof. Miguel A. Santos Rego
Prof. Sofia Castanheira Pais
Prof. Concepción Naval
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • higher education
  • university
  • employment
  • employability
  • employers
  • transversal competences
  • generic competences
  • evaluation
  • social responsibility, lifelong learning

Published Papers (10 papers)

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15 pages, 289 KiB  
Article
Migration Potential of Students and Development of Human Capital
by Anna Shutaleva, Nikita Martyushev, Alexey Starostin, Ali Salgiriev, Olga Vlasova, Anna Grinek, Zhanna Nikonova and Irina Savchenko
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 324; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12050324 - 05 May 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2200
Abstract
Studying student migration trends is a significant task in studying human capital development as one of the leading factors in sustainable socio-economic development. The migration potential of students impacts the opportunities and prospects for sustainable development. The study of factors influencing the migration [...] Read more.
Studying student migration trends is a significant task in studying human capital development as one of the leading factors in sustainable socio-economic development. The migration potential of students impacts the opportunities and prospects for sustainable development. The study of factors influencing the migration behavior of students acquires special significance in this article. The interpersonal competencies of the population impact its migration potential. Migration processes impact the differentiation of regions in terms of human capital. This article is based on theoretical and practical research on human capital, its formation, development, and migration as a factor in human capital development. The practical part of the study presents an analysis of data obtained from a sociological study of the factors that determine internal and international migration. An anonymous sociological survey of students in Ekaterinburg, Kursk, and Tomsk (Russia) was conducted in several stages. The first stage was implemented in October and December 2020 (N = 958). The second stage was implemented in October and November 2021 (N = 960). This study allows for tracing how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the migration potential of students and their desire for a satisfactory career path. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
16 pages, 1837 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Entrepreneurial Education—Study of the Configuration of the Entrepreneurial Identity through the Acquisition of Crucial Transversal Competences for Future University Students
by Macarena Donoso-González, Inmaculada Pedraza-Navarro and Leonardo Palferro-Fernández
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 310; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12050310 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Faced with the continuous changes that today’s society presents, educational policies place entrepreneurial education and, therefore, the promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit, as the axis on which to articulate effective responses for the current socio-educational context. The need to train students in key [...] Read more.
Faced with the continuous changes that today’s society presents, educational policies place entrepreneurial education and, therefore, the promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit, as the axis on which to articulate effective responses for the current socio-educational context. The need to train students in key aspects that will enable them to face the main difficulties that future labor and social future bring is the focus of attention of the educational environment. In this sense, we set out to find out how entrepreneurial education affects the identity formation of pre-university students in the Spanish context through the pedagogical and environmental factors present in an entrepreneurial education programme. The methodology used is based on qualitative research, which under an interpretative approach, has been assisted by quantitative and evaluative research on educational programmes, in order to try to respond to research objectives. The findings of this research lead us to consider entrepreneurial education in the pre-university environment as effective for the configuration of entrepreneurial identity in students, which facilitates an encouraging future for university students participating in these programmes, who will present an improved entrepreneurial identity that enables them to face forthcoming social, economic and labor reconfigurations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
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23 pages, 1298 KiB  
Article
Employability within an Education for Sustainability Framework: The Ocean i3 Case Study
by Olatz Zinkunegi-Goitia and Itziar Rekalde-Rodríguez
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 277; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12040277 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their [...] Read more.
The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their professional activities and form part of an active, responsible, ecological, sustainable, and resilient society. Ocean i3 is a cross-border project with the aim of achieving sustainability in the oceans by training students to become environmentally concerned and responsible professionals. This study explores the perception of students and teachers regarding their participation in Ocean i3 and their understanding of employability. A qualitative methodological approach has been used, based on a case study in which semi-structured interviews have been carried out and the Elevator Pitch presentation technique has been applied. Nine students and four teachers from the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux have been interviewed. The results highlight the importance of the participants’ first contact with the project, the need to be explicit regarding competences that favour employability during the development of the experience, and the need to increase and reinforce internships at social entities located in the territory. It is concluded that the project should focus more explicitly on the concept of employability to raise students’ awareness of the impact that their current participation in Ocean i3 can have on their professional future and insertion in the workplace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
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17 pages, 325 KiB  
Article
Transversal Competences and Employability of University Students: Converging towards Service-Learning
by Miguel A. Santos Rego, Daniel Sáez-Gambín, José Luis González-Geraldo and David García-Romero
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 265; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12040265 - 09 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2308
Abstract
We are living in times of great transformations within the field of education and the labor market. These changes are connected and have to do with an expanded knowledge society, whose implications reach the levels of employability in times of uncertainty. Within this [...] Read more.
We are living in times of great transformations within the field of education and the labor market. These changes are connected and have to do with an expanded knowledge society, whose implications reach the levels of employability in times of uncertainty. Within this framework, the main purpose of our study is to perform a theoretical analysis and an empirical approach to the influence that transversal competences (soft skills) may have on the degree of employability of university students. We have identified some of those competences and we have tested them with a sample of 83 employers and 1249 students using a Likert scale. Our results show the interest of employers in the mastery of transversal competences and inequalities in terms of students’ perception thereof. We did not find any significant differences between students starting their degree and those who were about to complete it. However, we did find differences between the students who participated in experiential activities and those who did not, in favor of the former. Due to the importance of experiential learning in our results, we dedicate our discussion to theoretically exploring whether the pedagogical approach of Service-Learning (SL) might contribute to a better connection between transversal competences and employability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
14 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
Connecting Higher Education to the Labour Market: The Experience of Service Learning in a Portuguese University
by Sofia Castanheira Pais, Teresa Silva Dias and Deyse Benício
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 259; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12040259 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2058
Abstract
The mission of higher education institutions (HEI) includes fostering conditions that enable student participation, and a commitment to their professional success. Pedagogical strategies which combine learning that goes beyond the university and involves a service-learning (SL) course carried out in the context of [...] Read more.
The mission of higher education institutions (HEI) includes fostering conditions that enable student participation, and a commitment to their professional success. Pedagogical strategies which combine learning that goes beyond the university and involves a service-learning (SL) course carried out in the context of a pedagogical innovation programme of the University of Porto were examined. This examination included interviews with teachers, a focus group discussion with students and the analysis of logbooks and final reports to realize the potential of SL for improving employability. The results put into perspective the weaknesses and potentialities of SL courses at HEI and show that when academic learning is integrated with community experience, students gain both personal/social and academic skills. They also develop leadership and communication skills and critical awareness on the one hand and time and resources management and the ability to adapt and respond to challenges of the real world on the other, all seen as beneficial for the transition into the labour market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
10 pages, 277 KiB  
Article
Transversal Competencies for Employability: From Higher Education to the Labour Market
by Helena Belchior-Rocha, Inês Casquilho-Martins and Eduardo Simões
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 255; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12040255 - 03 Apr 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3188
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
16 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
The Transversality of Civic Learning as the Basis for Development in the University
by Concepción Naval, Jorge L. Villacís and Sara Ibarrola-García
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 240; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12040240 - 27 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1980
Abstract
The social dimension of higher education seems to have been highlighted in the most recent documents of the European Higher Education Area. Furthermore, the interest in providing future graduates with the competences necessary for their future jobs seems to have grown in recent [...] Read more.
The social dimension of higher education seems to have been highlighted in the most recent documents of the European Higher Education Area. Furthermore, the interest in providing future graduates with the competences necessary for their future jobs seems to have grown in recent decades. In this context, the key questions are what social competences could help graduates to enter the world of work and how universities can facilitate the development of such competences. In the present article, we clarify the role of civic and social competence in university education and offer some guidelines to orientate their learning. To address these objectives, the present study is divided into five parts. First, we define what we understand as civic or citizen competence. In the second part, we describe the reasons why we consider that the learning of civic competence may occur in different settings (formal, informal, or non-formal) of university life. We propose character education and integrated learning (IL) as promising approaches to foster civic learning in the third and fourth sections. Finally, we offer recommendations on how university leaders and professors might promote civic or citizenship competence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
13 pages, 2202 KiB  
Article
Developing Transversal Competencies in the Sociodramatic Space: Narrative of a Curricular Experience in Higher Education
by Sofia Veiga
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12020125 - 14 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1957
Abstract
Higher Education plays a decisive role in the training of competent professionals and active, responsible and critical-thinking citizens. In addition to acquiring rigorous technical–scientific knowledge specific to their degree, students are also expected to develop a range of transversal skills essential for a [...] Read more.
Higher Education plays a decisive role in the training of competent professionals and active, responsible and critical-thinking citizens. In addition to acquiring rigorous technical–scientific knowledge specific to their degree, students are also expected to develop a range of transversal skills essential for a successful academic and professional career. This article aims to narrate an experience of obtaining a Social Education degree. Since its origins, it has been assumed that students in this field should: (a) acquire specific technical–scientific knowledge; (b) get to know themselves as individuals; and (c) develop a set of transversal skills essential to relationships, some of the most salient being active listening, empathic capacity, acceptance and respect for others, trust, curiosity, creativity, confidentiality and a reflective attitude. It thus aggregates a set of Curricular Units whose main purpose is the personal, social and professional development of students, formed within active methodologies. Sociodrama is one such methodology of teaching and learning in the context of two Curricular Units of this degree, and this article focuses on my experience lived within the scope of these units. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
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14 pages, 295 KiB  
Article
Transversal Competences and Employability: The Impacts of Distance Learning University According to Graduates’ Follow-Up
by Pedro Abrantes, Ana Paula Silva, Bárbara Backstrom, Cláudia Neves, Isabel Falé, Marc Jacquinet, Maria do Rosário Ramos, Olga Magano and Susana Henriques
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 65; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12020065 - 19 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
Since higher education qualifications and digital transition are considered key factors for economic development and individual opportunities, distance learning has been presented as a solution to improve the labor force’s skills and employability. However, such links were seldom studied systematically in specific contexts, [...] Read more.
Since higher education qualifications and digital transition are considered key factors for economic development and individual opportunities, distance learning has been presented as a solution to improve the labor force’s skills and employability. However, such links were seldom studied systematically in specific contexts, and doubts exist regarding online programs. Based on the results of three successive follow-up surveys to the graduates of the Portuguese distance learning public university (Universidade Aberta), from 2011 to 2018 (n = 1358), our article examines the graduates’ perception of acquired transversal competences, in relation to employability and social mobility gains. The statistical analysis points out a positive perception of transversal competences development, especially analytical capacity, autonomy, and communication, although some concerns were raised regarding digital skills, teamwork, job search skills, and social capital. The impacts on employability and socioeconomic mobility are positive for most students, but variable according to analyzed competences, and tend to occur mostly through internal mobility rather than through job search skills or entrepreneurship. Although exploratory, such findings allow some final considerations regarding the effective ability of higher education distance learning to enhance economic growth and employability, through transversal competences, as well as to sketch some suggestions to improve such ability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)

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37 pages, 1674 KiB  
Systematic Review
Transversal Competencies for Employability in University Graduates: A Systematic Review from the Employers’ Perspective
by Jesús García-Álvarez, Ana Vázquez-Rodríguez, Anaïs Quiroga-Carrillo and Diana Priegue Caamaño
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 204; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12030204 - 12 Mar 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5683
Abstract
The aim of this article is to provide a systematic review of the transversal competencies for employability in university graduates from an employer’s perspective, with consideration to the importance of the topic in the cross-national context. The PRISMA statement was used to guide [...] Read more.
The aim of this article is to provide a systematic review of the transversal competencies for employability in university graduates from an employer’s perspective, with consideration to the importance of the topic in the cross-national context. The PRISMA statement was used to guide the methodology and the reporting for the systematic review. The data collection produced 52 articles from the Scopus and Web of Science (JCR only) databases in the ten years between 2008 and 2018. The analysis focused on the characteristics of the employers and organizations, the methods and the instruments for evaluating transversal competencies, and the most highly valued competencies, both internationally and by continent. One of the main contributions is the creation of a classification that is made up of 41 transversal competencies that are grouped into five dimensions. The results show that employers attributed more importance to the competencies in the dimensions of Job-related basic (JRB) skills, Socio-relational (SR) skills, and Self-management (SM) skills. We conclude that Higher education institutions need to incorporate “pedagogies for employability”, which will strengthen the link between the academic setting and the socio-occupational reality and will ensure that graduates make a suitable transition to the world of work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transversal Competencies, Higher Education and Employment)
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