The problem of developing general competencies in higher education in respect of the demands of the modern labor market

the problem of developing general competencies (soft skills) in higher education is a central issue in the debate about modernizing the training system. The modern labor market, driven by the fourth industrial revolution, globalization, digitalization, and the rapid pace of change, has radically altered the demands placed on university graduates. While highly specialized, "brick-and-mortar" knowledge (hard skills) were valued in the industrial era, today these skills become obsolete faster than students complete their studies. Flexible, cross-professional skills that enable adaptation, learning, and effective performance in an unstable, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment are becoming increasingly important. Higher education's ability to transform itself and make the development of these competencies not optional but a core element of the educational process will be a key factor in its competitiveness and usefulness for society as a whole. Otherwise, it risks permanently losing its monopoly on personnel training, giving way to alternative educational platforms and corporate universities, which are already more flexibly and selectively developing market-relevant skills. The problem of developing general (or soft) competencies in higher education has become more acute in the context of sanctions and labor market transformation.

general competencies, development, higher education, labor market, soft skills, employer