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Key competencies in the labour market from the perspective of higher education students

Agata Matuszewska-Kubicz

Abstract

The subject of key competencies in the labour market has been discussed in many publications and reports in recent years, presenting the point of view of researchers and employers on the issue. However, the perspective of future employees also seems to be worth discussing; hence this research covers university students currently entering the labour market. Ten competencies identified as key in the labour market are examined: problem-solving, creativity and innovation, analytical and critical thinking, active learning and teaching, interdisciplinarity, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, intercultural competencies, virtual cooperation, digital competency. The study aimed to determine the respondents' opinions and beliefs about selected key competencies on the labour market, their willingness to develop them, and their declared level of these competencies. The survey was carried out using the quantitative method, using the CAWI technique, on a sample of 352 respondents - students of the University of Lodz. The results indicate that the students mostly share the view that the competencies indicated as being key will be expected by employers in the labour market in the next five years. Moreover, for most of the competencies being studied, they assess their current level to be high and see the need to develop them for professional purposes. Discrepancies are also indicated between the students' self-assessment of their competencies and their employers' assessment.

Keywords: labour market, key competencies, students' competencies, competency level, expectations of employers

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AUTHOR

Agata Matuszewska-Kubicz

The author holds a PhD in economic sciences in the field of management, an organisational psychologist, a career counsellor, and a soft skills trainer. She works as an assistant professor at the Department of Labour and Social Policy at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz and as an entrepreneurship specialist in the Career Service of the University of Lodz. She has several years of professional experience in career guidance and training in soft skills and entrepreneurship. Her scientific interests include human resources management, competencies in the labour market, changes on the labour market, psychology of labour, and employer branding.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15219/em92.1541

The article is in the printed version on pages 69-80.

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Matuszewska-Kubicz, A. (2021). Key competencies in the labour market from the perspective of higher education students. e-mentor, 5(92), 69-80. https://doi.org/10.15219/em92.1541