Fourth Industrial Era Research Articles

Learn and Work in the 21st Century. A Review of Employability Models for HE Graduates: Different Levels of Analysis

Abstract Academic literature recognizes that knowledge is universal and higher education, as the main provider of knowledge and competences, is all the more not constrained by borders. In this regard, meeting the demand for competences is also challenging especially for the graduates of the 21st century who are confronted with the rapid changes of fourth industrial era economies. We propose a systematic literature review on increasing the employability of HE graduates by selecting relevant studies that analyze the employers, graduates and educators’ perceptions of the employability skills for graduates. Also our investigation includes an analysis of existing graduates’ employability models and proposes a comprehensive extension of these models considering the factors that have implication in increasing the employability. Thus, starting from reviewing the literature on employability on three levels of investigation: HE institutions, policy makers and employers and considering the selected employability models that propose a better design for curricula, our study will continue with creating an integrated employability model that takes into account all the factors identified on employability literature on each level (or main actors that have influence on employability and determine new requirements): HE institutions, policy makers and employers. This approach aims to identify on one hand the necessary skills and competences for increasing HE graduates’ employability in order to reduce the gap between demand and supply of competences on labor market and on the other hand to identify and understand the factors of impact on employability of HE graduates in order to find solutions for achieving employability skills by curricula.

The world and business computing in 2051

This paper projects the future of information technology within the context of the business and social environment in the mid 21st century. Some time in the next two decades we will enter our fourth industrial era, fueled by evolution in power, genetics, space exploration and information technologies. Unlike other industrial revolutions, this will be attended by widespread consolidations in industries as diverse as utility, retail, pharmaceuticals as well as the government. The trade wing of the UN, the United Nations Trade Organization (UNTO) is established to deal with global issues. The UNTO passes a number of resolutions including # 1/10 which deals with a uniform system of personal identification for all individuals. Due to free trade facilitated by electronic bureaucracies and global transportation grids, GNP growth rates triple. However, the consolidations will lead to the disappearance of clerical, administrative and management employees, leaving only the top management and highly skilled professionals. These changes will result in companies outsourcing all their routine processing to transaction and data centres. Employees will work from well equipped IT centres. The internet is in its third incarnation and is supported by a comprehensive web intelligence to answer all possible questions. Other technological changes include Terahertz computers, Personal identification Devices (PID), AI chips and hierarchical databases with relational interfaces. The cornucopia resulting from progress will lead to a more enlightened society. However, the stress of change will result in an increased degree of philosophical inquiry.