GENERIC SKILLS AT UNIVERSITY. EVALUATION OF A TRAINING PROGRAM

Generic skills have gained increasing importance in the business world since 1973, and since the year 2000 in the area of higher education as well. Within this context the EHEA explicitly states that universities must educate both specific and generic skills. The education of specific skills has been well undertaken within the various courses of each degree program. However, the same cannot be said of generic skills. Currently at universities, these skills are developed indirectly through optional courses or complementary education activities (CEA). Thus, although the EHEA recognises the importance of learning these skills, the majority of universities do not offer specific courses for their acquisition. This study proposes the creation of an obligatory and specific course, transversal to all university degrees, for the development of generic skills. The aim is to demonstrate that a structured and specific course on generic competences can be an important vehicle for their development. A valid and reliable questionnaire on generic skills was designed and administered to 610 students, of whom 387 received specific training in generic skills and 223 of whom did not. The results confirm the hypothesis regarding the effectiveness of a specific course in significantly enhancing the acquisition of generic skills, both intrapersonal, dealing with personal growth and introspection, and interpersonal, dealing with communication and teamwork. Evidence shows that specific courses on generic competences are an effective means of developing these skills. Thus, study programs should be revised to ensure student acquisition of both competences, specific and generic, as recommended by the EHEA and the employment market.