Competences of Graduates of Higher Education Business Studies in Labor Market I (Results of Pilot Cross-Border Research Project in Poland and Slovakia)

Abstract

The analysis of the experiences of cross-border countries shall facilitate the identification of the most helpful and useful tools to improve the process of adaptation of young people into the labor market. The goal of the higher education system, as part of cross-border cooperation, is to develop professionally competent, service-oriented, principled and productive citizens in Poland and Slovakia. There are a lot of factors influencing the possibility of undertaking rewarding jobs by students and graduates that are related to their degree, especially the supply and demand of business related jobs which plays a significant role in the process. The analysis of degree programs, the views of working students, graduates and employers, followed by the preparation of a research report and relevant recommendations may have a beneficial effect on the profile and quality of education and the future of graduates in the countries included in the study, as well as in other countries which are interested in the outcomes of the project. The objective of this article is to present the results of research on how graduates of higher education business studies develop in terms of the skills, knowledge and characteristics which enable them to be employable in Poland and Slovakia. The applied research methodology combines the analysis of subject-related literature with empirical research. The questionnaires for data collection constituted a survey for independent completion. The adopted method allowed a numerical description of trends, attitudes and opinions in a selected group. It also facilitated a comparison of the results of the studies of Polish graduates and Slovakian graduates.