Abstract:

Higher education institutions (HEI) are increasingly focused on adapting their training strategies according to a job market characterized by a VUCA environment. The VUCA environment, in which organizations currently operate, is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. To be able to develop new pedagogical practices, however, can be a challenge for educational management, which must seek methodologies that take into account the social and emotional dimensions of students. 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 goal of the project is to develop and implement an innovative approach to teaching STEM subjects, in which the teacher develops skills related to STEM subjects in non-technical majors by changing the teaching model: profiling STEM subjects in terms of a particular field of study and the actual requirements of the labor market, in order to demonstrate the practical usefulness of the skills and knowledge transferred in STEM subjects; transforming the forms of classes to a project model created on the basis of the Design Thinking framework; and Implementing the role of a teacher-mentor asking pertinent questions to stimulate reflection, the discovery of passions and thinking about careers in terms of professional identity. The project is aimed at academic teachers, lecturers, and employees responsible for the educational process and career counselling at universities (including employees of academic career offices), as well as deans and management staff responsible for adjusting curricula following the results of the project. One of the main results that will be focused on is the Professional Awareness Pills - modules that stimulate students' reflection on the content covered from the perspective of their interests, passions, aptitudes and the market value of the skills and knowledge developed. These pills represent various activities for soft skills development, because these skills, often referred to as interpersonal or people skills, are the non-technical abilities that enable individuals to effectively interact and communicate with others. Unlike hard skills, which are job-specific and typically acquired through education or training, soft skills are more related to personal attributes and traits that facilitate successful interactions, both in professional and personal contexts and nowadays are vital in this VUCA world of work.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Labor Market requirements, Design Thinking framework, Professional Awareness, Soft Skills.