NAJRAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES’ POSSESSION OF THE TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY SKILLS: EMPLOYERS’ VIEWPOINT

Abstract

The study identified the degree of possession of the twenty-first-century skills of Najran University graduates from the viewpoint of employers. The researchers used a questionnaire consisting of four main skills and 20 sub-skills of the twenty-first-century skills. The study was applied to the governmental and private work sectors, in which graduates from Najran University work. The study participants were selected using a simple random method. The results of the study showed that the graduates of Najran University had a high degree of twenty-first-century skills. Personal and life skills came first, digital skills second, professional skills third, and research and investigation skills last. The results also showed statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between the means of the responses of the study sample about the degree to which Najran University graduates possess twenty-first-century skills due to the sector variable (governmental, private); differences came in favor of the private sector. The study recommended the need to educate faculty members about the skills of the twenty-first century and effective communication between academic programs and the labor market. Also, there is a need to update the study plans for the academic courses in line with the developments of time and the requirements of the labor market. Additionally, the partnership between the university, local community institutions, and employers in the governmental and private sectors must be activated to determine the level of graduates and the skills that must be obtained. Keywords: Twenty-First-Century Skills, Employers, Najran University DOI： https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.2.37