Abstract:

As the complexities of the 21st century blur disciplinary boundaries, higher education must evolve to prepare learners for a rapidly changing world. This study presents a dynamic competency framework that translates broad 21st-century skills into actionable, measurable elements, empowering educators and industry leaders to design transformative learning experiences.

Organized into five core domains – Intellectual, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Technology, and Global Engagement – each domain is deconstructed into classes and base elements, providing a clear pathway for integrating interdisciplinary competencies into measurable outcomes across fields. Built on principles of comprehensiveness and adaptability, the framework remains relevant to diverse academic programs and the evolving global landscape.

Developed through a multi-phase process involving document analysis, surveys, co-creation workshops, and text coding, the framework captures current competencies while anticipating future demands. It also introduces the concept of 'complex competencies,' which combine interconnected skills and behaviors across multiple domains to address interdisciplinary challenges and equip learners to navigate complex, real-world scenarios.

With its adaptive design, this framework is more than a blueprint; it’s a strategic roadmap for educators to design future-focused curricula and for organizations to foster workforce readiness. By bridging theory and application, this competency framework offers a transformative model to prepare learners not just for future jobs but for meaningful contributions to a global society.

Keywords:

future skills, 21st-century learning, engaged citizenship, future of work, competency based learning, workforce readiness, education for the future.