Between theory and practice: is it possible to close the skills gap?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34767/SZP.2025.02.06Keywords:
future skills, Industry 5.0, skills gap, higher education, labour market, competencesAbstract
The rapid development of digital technologies, robotics, and artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the labour market. Industry 5.0 – a human-centred economic model based on cooperation between humans and machines – demands a new set of competences, including social, cognitive, and digital skills. This article presents the results of a study conducted in 2024 as part of the project “In Search of Future Competences”. The study aimed to assess the level of selected competencies among students (N = 897) and compare them with employers’ perceptions (N = 91). The analysis reveals a significant skills gap: employers rate students’ abilities (e.g., communication, conflict resolution, leadership) much lower than the students rate their own. The article discusses the causes of these discrepancies and offers recommendations for education systems to better prepare young people for employment in the context of Industry 5.0.
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