Abstract:

Universities and Polytechnics are putting more and more effort into modifying their training programs to meet the needs of a changing labor market. This labor market is complex and calls for a new kind of professional with a heavy emphasis on STEM-related skills and knowledge transfer. The “Teach-BEASTs – Teaching to BE Aware STudents (Teach-BEASTs)” project is an Erasmus+ programme that includes the University of Information Technology and Management (Poland), Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita Di Bologna (Italy), Universitat Ramon Llull Fundacio (Spain), and the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (Portugal). The project's objective is to create and put into practice a novel method of STEM education. In order to demonstrate the practical value of the knowledge and skills taught in STEM subjects, teachers will transform class forms into a project model based on the framework of Design Thinking; implement the role of a teacher-mentor by asking pertinent questions to encourage reflection, the identification of passions, and the thinking about careers in terms of professional identity and profile STEM subjects according to the field of study and the real requirements of the labor market.

Particular goals consist of helping educators formulate lesson plans that align with the professional identities of their subject matter (career canvases) and the demands of the labor market at the moment (with a focus on identifying and incorporating into lesson plans any less-than-obvious connections between STEM subjects and requirements for non-technical graduates), develop teachers' abilities to use strategies, tactics, and resources to raise students' knowledge of the need to continuously find their current interests, potential linkages with passions, and their relationships to the demands of the labor market while teaching vocational topics. In order to increase the appeal of the field of study to people who view science subjects as irrelevant from the standpoint of a professional career, prepare STEM teachers to transition to the project model of student education by using the DT framework and developing their ability to profile the provided content about the field of study in which the subject is taught (non-STEM fields, in which science subjects are marginalized). The Professional Awareness Pills, which are modules that encourage students to reflect on the material covered from the perspective of their interests, passions, aptitudes, and the market worth of the skills and information obtained, are one of the key outcomes that will be examined. These tablets stand in for a variety of soft skill development activities because soft skills, also known as people skills or interpersonal skills, are the non-technical aptitudes that allow people to engage and communicate with others productively and efficiently. In contrast to hard skills, which are unique to a given job and are usually obtained by school or training, soft skills are more closely associated with character traits and personal qualities that promote positive interactions in both personal and professional settings.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Labor Market, Soft Skills, STEM.