Title: Policy instruments to promote and develop transferable skills to increase the employability of higher education graduates

Authors: Dušan Lesjak

Addresses: International School for Social and Business Studies, Mariborska Cesta 7, 3000 Celje, Slovenia

Abstract: Horizontal and vertical mismatch of employed higher education graduates and their unemployment has been a growing problem of the Slovenian over the last decade. Therefore, the ministry, responsible for higher education has developed and implemented various policy instruments to encourage institutions to develop transferable skills and competences expected by the labour market. An analysis and comparison of the characteristics of the policy instruments has been carried out as a case study. The contribution concludes with a reflection on additional features and objectives of possible further usage of policy instruments related to recent global developments in the higher education area and wider. A limitation of this case study is that it has not been possible to present the effects of the instruments, as some have recently ended, others are ongoing or have just started.

Keywords: higher education; transferable skills; competences; students; graduates; employability; labour market; policy instruments; innovation; Slovenia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2024.136477

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2024 Vol.35 No.2, pp.216 - 233

Received: 30 Aug 2022
Accepted: 16 Nov 2022
Published online: 02 Feb 2024 *

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