Influence of educational environment on the formation of skills among future professionals

Abstract

This research aims to explore the impact of educational environment factors within higher education institutions on the process of shaping professional (Hard Skills) and social competencies (Soft Skills) of future professionals. The proposed study falls within the realm of mixed-method scientific inquiry, as it encompasses the synthesis of theoretical analysis of scholarly concepts relevant to the article’s core ideas, a factor analysis of empirical data collected to quantify the influence of external and internal educational environment factors, as well as qualitative generalizations drawn from the results of the factor analysis. Empirical data collection was conducted through the observation of a student group (n = 925) utilizing methods such as surveys, questionnaires, testing, and interviews. The findings of this research are valuable for informing the implementation of models for graduates of higher education institutions. The study revealed that future professionals are expected to have not only hard skills but also develop soft skills, the formation of which should occur in parallel.