Abstract:

Nowadays employers call universities urgently to prepare graduates with good generic and specific competences. Such demand requires rethinking study methods and modifying study processes. Before introducing new courses and new teaching methods, it is necessary to measure the level of competences obtained by students in existing courses, where traditional teaching methods are applied. The focus of our analysis will be on generic competences. Numerous classifications of generic competences are available in the literature. Tuning Project lists 31 competences, Calgary University lists 8, Hong Kong Polytechnic University uses 8, Mashitoh Y. also uses 8, etc. Young J. and Chapman E. stress that employers who operate in global markets, search for employees with high levels of generic competences in communication skills, problem solving and conflict resolution. We will study competences identified during the analysis of corresponding literature. For our study, we selected the following competences: problem solving, teamwork, autonomous work, communication skills, ability to analyze and synthesize, ICT literacy and some others. As not all students have work experience, only perceived competences will be self-assessed through questionnaires. However, in the analysis of students’ opinions we will try to take into account the fact that some students have job and practical experiences. Students surveyed are bachelor and master students in economics and management at the Faculty of Economics of Vilnius University.

Keywords:

Survey, university, bachelor students, perceived competences.