This study contributes to the employability skills debate by investigating how students’ self-perceived 21st century skills relate to the self-perceived fit between their higher education curriculum and their future labor market for a sustainable entry to this labor market. Survey data from 4670 fourth-year students over a period of four years were analyzed. Furthermore, out of this group, 83 students were monitored longitudinally over their full educational student careers. Results showed a positive relationship between students’ self-perceived 21st century skills and their self-perceived “education-future labor market fit”. Among more recent cohorts, a significant improvement in their self-perceived 21st century skills was found. Overall, this study indicated that in order to deliver “employable” graduates, students need to be thoroughly trained in 21st century skills, and their development should be retained and expanded. This is one of the few studies that uses a vast amount of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data on skills and labor market perspectives among new graduates.
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"Despite many efforts, people with a refugee background still have great difficulties to find a job on the Dutch labour market. This has adverse consequences for the economic independence of people with a refugee background, their social connections, personal development, health and general well-being, but also for employers as well as society in general. There are many sectors in the Dutch labour market with large, structural labor shortages, while at the same time much talent remains untapped. Meanwhile, more and more social enterprises in the Netherlands are stepping into this void, with the explicit goal to facilitate access to the labour market for people with a vulnerable position, including people with a refugee background. Consequently, these so-called work integration social enterprises (WISEs) are — by far — the dominant type of social enterprises in the Netherlands. Although the diversity between WISEs in terms of economic sectors, specific target groups and business models is large, the way in which they organize their key activities can serve as an example for regular employers, who still tend to think in problems rather than opportunities when it comes to employing people with a refugee background. At the same time, the impact of these social enterprises still remains relatively limited in comparison to the scale of the societal challenge. The aim of this study therefore is twofold: 1) to obtain a better understanding of the role of WISEs with regard to the sustainable labor participation of refugees, and 2) to assess the ways in which WISEs can scale their societal impact with respect to labour participation of refugees. These conference proceedings focus in particular on (new) forms of collaboration between WISEs and regular employers that aim to become more inclusive employers."
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The ever increasing technological developments and greater demands from our society for qualitative better, safer, sustainable products, processes and systems are pushing the boundaries of what is possible from an engineer’s perspective. Besides the (local) grand challenges in energy, sustainability, health and mobility the world is getting smaller due to advances in communication and digitalization. The exponential increase of complexity and data driven systems (big data) which are integrated and connected to different networks calls for rethinking and inventing new business models [1]. To stay competitive in the world OEM’s and SME’s have to develop breakthrough technological, innovative and advanced systems and processes. These changes have a major impact on engineering education. The industry needs engineers with different competences and skills to fulfil the challenges and demands mentioned earlier. Universities should follow up on these changes and can only deliver and prepare the engineers of the future by close collaboration with the high tech industry. Fontys University is fully aware of this and developed a Centre of Expertise in High Tech Systems & Materials (CoE HTSM) to close the gap between the university and industry. This CoE is a public-private cooperation where applied research, projects and educational programs for different curricula are being developed and executed. By making the industry partner and giving them a role within the university, the engineering education programs and the future engineering profile can be better aligned in a faster and more structural way.
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