Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, in an abrupt and significant way, how society is in permanent transformation, and how this has generated great changes in our ways of learning. Given this, the needs of the labor market have also been impacted, and the challenges that were emerging for professionals in the future, today have been accelerated. In a report by Forbes on the future of jobs, it is highlighted that by the year 2025, 85 million jobs will be displaced by technological developments, but also 97 million new job opportunities will flourish. In the 2020 report, the World Economic Forum established 10 essential skills for professionals in order to achieve a rapid transition to the new jobs of the future. In response to this context, the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral in 2020 creates the E2020 educational model based on competencies and student centered through formal and non-formal education with the aim of developing an ecosystem that develops competencies for performance professional and upright citizen, of excellence, pertinent, innovative and with ethical leadership. In this paper we present a methodology -learning by experience- to design and implement non-formal activities that are fun, interesting, and stimulating for the student and, in turn, contribute to the formation of skills necessary for the labor market and that are aligned to the competencies of the University. In the methodology, activities are designed and implemented with students, participation and achievements are accredited through digital badges established by competence and recognized through a digital transcript of non-formal activities that can be verified by a third person. The methodology describes the implementation of two non-formal activities. The results indicate that 30 non-formal activities were institutionalized with the participation of 12,390 students in activities such as: challenges, contests, clubs, volunteering, international stays, mentoring, among other activities. In addition, a system was implemented that allows registering and validating the activities carried out, as well as issuing digital badges for competencies based on the achievements obtained. In addition, the student can generate a transcript of non-formal activities carried out and digital badges obtained. In conclusion, learning environments have been created where the student, through the experimentation of non-formal activities, applies necessary skills in the labor market.

Keywords:

Non formal education, Skill needs of labour market, Higher education, Learning activities.