Abstract
Higher Education systems need to undergo significant transformation to produce graduates who are highly skilled and prepared for their roles in the impending workforce. Despite an improvement in university throughput rates, unemployment remains predominantly high, which could be attributed to the misalignment between mandatory workplace skills and those possessed by graduates. The focus of the study was on the exploration of skills acquired from the new General Education modules introduced into the curriculum of undergraduate programmes. Hence, the study discovered learners’ perspectives on the relevance of the skills acquired from these modules in the undergraduate programme to ensure survival in the workforce. The methodology adopted in the study was a quantitative survey research design, using the questionnaire as the data collection tool from a census of the first-year learners registered in the undergraduate programme. The results provided significant evidence to support the view that the skills acquired from the General Education modules in the undergraduate programme are indispensable in industry and enhanced critical thinking of the learners.
Highlights
Higher Education in the 21st century is a critical role-player in modern societies
We present the study’s findings, with a discussion on specific modules that respondents found relevant in terms of the acquisition of skills to sustain them for the future work environment
Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are continually revising the curricula to ensure that they produce graduates who are equipped with the necessary skills required by employers
Summary
Higher Education in the 21st century is a critical role-player in modern societies. Globally, there have been calls by institutions to prepare learners and help them navigate the world (Teo, 2019). Institutions are functioning in a complicated era, that is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterised by novel modifications These organisations need to prepare for the 4IR to remain relevant in the world economy and along these lines must equip their employees for the forthcoming movements in the way they work (Lieu et al, 2018). The accelerated pace of functioning in 4IR may lead to an inadvertent disregard for the human element, which may be detrimental to organisations as it affects interpersonal communication skills and the ability to engage in business undertakings For this reason and others, the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) will be devoted to humanity and to preparing individuals for imminent difficulties (Ilieva-Nawful, 2020). As an integral part of curriculum renewal, the University decided that General Education (GE) would become a strong focus of all curricula in an endeavour to help
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
