Abstract:

The European Union has long been trying to predict changes of necessary knowledge and skills of the future population and harmonize existing competencies of graduates with the competencies demanded by the labour market. For more than twenty years ago, Europe became looked if competencies of universities graduates of different disciplines meet the requirements of their job.
The European Council emphasizes in its declarations that quality of learning should become one from crucial targets in all sorts and types of schools. Therefore, the quality should be assured at all levels and in each field of education. Nowadays, a targeted innovation of learning process focused on development of professional and key competences of a student.
The paper refers to twenty years lasting history of the research aimed at key competencies of higher education graduates and conducted in European countries.
A team of people from the Institute of Construction Technology and Management in Technical University of Košice – the Faculty of Civil Engineering has joined the National Project “Universities as Engines of Knowledge Society Development”, realized in Slovakia in years 2013-2015. Based on the project outcomes, the paper provides information about:
• Applicability of graduates of Technical University in Košice at the labour market;
• Applicability of graduates of specialization “Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction” in accordance with International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011) at the labour market in Slovakia for all educational levels and about prognosis of working positions for higher education graduates;
• Soft and hard competencies of higher education graduates in specialization “Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction” in accordance with ISCED 2011.
Results of questionnaire surveys most often present the basis for evaluation of employability and application of different universities graduates. The survey results are based on self-assessment of graduates or assessment of their employers.
The main part of the paper presents the selected partial outcomes of the research focused on applicability of universities graduates at the labour market, especially graduates of Technical University in Košice in specialization “Engineering, manufacturing and Construction” and the average profile of competence of this graduates. The analysis reflects difference between the levels of competence, according to graduates achieved through university and competence required in their current job. The big difference was found in foreign language skills, in negotiation and in ability to work in a multicultural/international environment. The survey outcomes clearly demonstrate the need to raise the level of higher education in field of foreign language, especially English language.

Keywords:

Key competencies, graduates, university, labour market.