What competencies are needed in the production industry? The case of the Podlaskie Region

Abstract

Abstract The article focuses on indicating a set of competencies required for production branches based on the data regarding the Podlaskie labour market. The data was collected using quantitative surveys (in the form of questionnaires). Then, the Authors used network analysis to visualise the collected data and indicate the most frequently indicated set of competencies. Based on the opinion of respondents, the most popular competencies were professional knowledge and technical skills. These two competencies were also the most popular combination. Communication, self-reliance, thoroughness/reliability, sharing knowledge and experience, and teamwork/collaboration also proved to be important. The entire set of the competencies is strongly linked, with professional knowledge and technical skills forming the foundation. Knowledge of foreign languages has also been identified as significant as well as decision making, which was, however, less frequently connected with the above. Despite the dominance of the two competencies attributed to the professional group, this group of competencies was the least numerous. Based on the example of the Podlaskie Region, the study informs about the set of competencies sought by manufacturing companies. Also, the most important competencies typical for individual branches are noted. This collection of competencies can serve as a basis for further theoretical considerations in the field of competency identification aimed at the production industry. In some cases, competencies indicated for different industries coincide, while in others they are divergent. The set of competencies indicated by the respondents informs job seekers in the area of production as well as institutions such as Voivodship Labour Office in Bialystok, whose task, among others, is to appropriately orientate the development of future employees.