1. GRADUATE COMPETENCES AND THE JOB MARKET
Assoc. Prof. Diana Popova, PhD
Burgas Free University
Bulgaria
Project No LVO2-KA

2. Education From memorizing and reproducing facts and figures
To developing skills and competences
To developing “soft skills”
Project No LVO2-KA

3. “Hard” and “soft” skills
‘Hard’ skills can get you a job interview
‘Soft’ skills can get you the job
The good balance between hard and soft skills can guarantee your success
Project No LVO2-KA

4. Knowledge, skills and competences today
Knowledge – just a “click” away
Bologna Declaration – focus on learning outcomes and developed competences
Competences – skills combined with a corpus of knowledge that make us fit for the labor market.
Competence – a keyword for employability and a measure for success
Project No LVO2-KA

5. Knowledge economy (Brown и Hesketh 2004: 1)
The knowledge economy presupposes
A world of smart people
With smart jobs
Who do smart things
In a smart way
For smart money
A world more accessible for everybody
Project No LVO2-KA

6. Developing competences
Personal characteristics
Skills
Knowledge
Project No LVO2-KA

7. What higher education should do
Develop higher-order cognitive skills:
Gathering and interpreting information
Synthesizing information
Data evaluation
Critical thinking
Project No LVO2-KA

8. Academic entrepreneurship
Proactive teachers and students
Updating curricula, e-learning, distance learning
Academic entrepreneurship
In the job market
In society
In Europe and around the world
Responsive to changes
Employees need:
Computer skills;
Conflict resolution skills;
Foreign language skills;
Stress management skills;
Ability to deal with difficult clients.
What employers have to say
Project No LVO2-KA

9. What needs to be done? Project No. 2015-1-LVO2-KA205-000609
Talk to students and employers
Work on projects with the businesses
Research the job market
Offer consultations to students
Career centre
Project No LVO2-KA

10. Lifelong Learning Learning for life Lifelong learning
Competitive in 21st c.
Project No LVO2-KA

11. By maintaining lifelong curiosity and inquisitiveness
How?
By maintaining lifelong curiosity and inquisitiveness
Curiosity combined with motivation to learn is more important than intelligence when the goal is success in education (“The World is Flat”, Thomas Friedman).
Project No LVO2-KA

12. Personal characteristics - a success factor for “soft” skills
Professional ethics
Positive attitude and intrinsic motivation
Accepting criticism and learning from it
Communicativeness
Team work
Ability to work under stress
Leadership
Self-confidence
Ability to resolve problems
Project No LVO2-KA

13. Higher Education under pressure to develop competences for the future
Employers
Students and parents
Accreditation and quality assurance commissions
Government
Project No LVO2-KA