Abstract:

The paper focuses on identifying the managerial competencies that students in technically oriented higher education programs consider most important. The aim of the study is to determine which managerial competencies students consider important for their future professional careers and, at the same time, to identify areas of their practical application. The study was conducted on a sample of engineering students in both managerial and non-managerial study programs at a technical university. Data were collected through students’ work on project focused on the practical application of managerial competencies. These focused on competencies in the areas of skill development, problem-solving, leading meetings, people management, coaching, communication, and time management. The collected data were analysed using a qualitative approach, employing thematic content analysis based on coding and the subsequent grouping of semantic units into thematic clusters. The results highlight the importance of managerial competencies as an integral part of the professional profile of graduates from technical study programs. From the students’ perspective, the study yielded results in the form of an awareness of the importance of managerial competencies for their successful career advancement. At the same time, key areas for their practical application were identified, particularly in the context of teamwork, project management, and adaptation to a dynamic work environment. The study’s findings highlight the need for the systematic development of managerial competencies alongside the specialized technical and digital knowledge that students acquire during their studies, as these competencies significantly influence their employability and success in professional growth. The study’s contribution lies in identifying priority managerial competencies from the students’ own perspective, which provides valuable feedback for curriculum developers and educators in their systematic development. The findings can serve as a basis for curriculum innovation, particularly in the area of integrating project-based learning and the development of soft skills into technically oriented study programs.

Keywords:

Development, higher education, managerial competencies, managerial skills, technical education.