Analysis of the theorical model of the situational test for measuring the development of basic employability competences: the workers’ perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse, from the workers’ perspective, the employability model developed by the research group IARS linked to the Situational Test for measuring the Development of Basic Employability Competences (Test Situacional de Desarrollo de las Competencias Básicas de Empleabilidad). The hypothesis was that basic employability competences proposed by this model are necessary to attain, remain and be promoted within the labour market regardless of the economic sector, sex, age and work experience. A questionnaire was completed by 255 workers from different professional sectors. They evaluated the need for eight basic employability competences proposed in the model to obtain and retain their position and also to be promoted: self-organization; training-career plan; decision-making; teamwork; communication; flexibility; perseverance; responsibility/co-responsibility. The competences were perceived to be very necessary to attain, maintain and to be promoted within the position, although the competences were considered progressively more relevant as workers’ progress along their professional career. All competences were assessed as necessary for different jobs independently of the professional sector, sex, age, and difficulties accessing the labour market after being unemployed. Only some nuances with small size effect were detected. To initially obtain their first job, flexibility is the competence most valued by women and young people, whereas for workers aged 25 to 54, it is the construction of a training-career plan. With regards to maintaining a position, perseverance is most valued by workers who have experienced more difficulties accessing the labour market or have been unemployed. Regarding promotion, teamwork is seen as key by those who have remained at the same company for the longest time. The results endorse the validity of the model and allow for advances to be made in constructing psychoeducational instruments for developing the employability basic competences from an early age.