Rethinking higher education: Empowering learners with future-shaping skills for decent work

Bakthavatchaalam, Venkat and Sa, Maria Jose 2026. Rethinking higher education: Empowering learners with future-shaping skills for decent work. Bakhsh, Nora Ali, ed. Education for Global Challenges: Preparing Learners for a Complex World, 1 edition. Dubai: UNESCO-RCEP, pp. 170-218.

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Abstract

Rapid technological, socio-economic, and environmental shifts are redefining the future of work, compelling higher education to move beyond traditional employability paradigms. This study addresses whether HE is preparing graduates for obsolete roles or equipping them to shape inclusive and sustainable futures. Drawing on a narrative review of 130 peer-reviewed studies, policy frameworks, and global initiatives published between 2016 and 2025, findings highlight three interrelated competency clusters essential for future graduates: (i) digital and technical fluency, (ii) adaptive and cognitive capacities, and (iii) social and cross-cultural skills. These show a growing need for hybrid skill sets that integrate technical and digital fluency with higher-order cognitive abilities including critical thinking, creativity, and systems thinking, alongside socio-emotional and intercultural competencies. Effective pedagogical strategies include modular, interdisciplinary programs, challenge-based learning, and experiential pedagogies that foster adaptability, resilience, and civic responsibility. Beyond employability, the paper argues for HE as a driver of social justice and innovation, positioning learners as co-creators of knowledge and agents of systemic change. Looking ahead to 2050, the research envisions HE as a flexible, personalized, and globally networked ecosystem to support lifelong learning. This study aims to inform policy decisions that support responsible curriculum design aligned with SDGs 4, 8, and 10: Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2361 Curriculum T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Publisher:	UNESCO-RCEP
Funders:	Cardiff University
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	24 September 2026
Last Modified:	28 Sep 2026 09:16
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/189793

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