Projects / Programmes
Management of education and employability in knowledge society
January 1, 2019
- December 31, 2024
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.04.00 |
Social sciences |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
|
| 5.02.00 |
Social sciences |
Economics |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S189 |
Social sciences |
Organizational science |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.06 |
Social Sciences |
Political science |
| 5.02 |
Social Sciences |
Economics and Business |
Higher education, institutions, politics, teaching, knowledge, skills, competences, creative learning, career paths, digital literacy, cyber security, research, funding, management, entrepreneurship, graduates, employability, employment, labour market, labour law, knowledge society
Data for the last 5 years (citations for the last 10 years) on
October 1, 2023;
A3 for period
2017-2021
| Database |
Linked records |
Citations |
Pure citations |
Average pure citations |
| WoS |
360 |
4,988 |
4,730 |
13.14 |
| Scopus |
470 |
7,353 |
7,004 |
14.9 |
Researchers (39)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Education and especially higher education (HE) is considered a key factor in economic development. HE institutions (HEIs), government and others must be aware of the role they play in “Europe of knowledge” and take responsibility in assuring their expected services in the knowledge society.
The failure of the HE system comes in terms of social needs and employment opportunities to worsen study choice decisions of potential students. This increases the unemployment rate of graduates and leads to higher social costs in the future.
A characteristic of our universities is dominant influence of academics in management, which raises the question of their proper business management and adequate impact on the founders of the (financial) business. Improper formation of the managing board means the influence of the representatives of the founders is too weak, and that of university employees too strong.
Education and employment in modern “social knowledge” has seen a decline in birth rate, an ageing population, weak participation of the older generation on the labour market and high unemployment among young people. In recent years, most countries have responded primarily to the ageing population by increasing the active working-age of citizens with i.e. age segregation of the labour market. In Slovenia, this is characterized by the reduction of permanent employment for young people.
The key research problem is how to ensure higher efficiency and effectiveness of the HE system and the resolution of, not only in Slovenia, one of the key HE problems, influence the creation of conditions for increased employment (and self-employment) among graduates, adequate development and a dynamic labour market for both younger and older generations.
We have identified three groups of objectives – concerning HE policies, HEIs funding and management as well as (self) employment of young and elderly. We will not only reach these objectives in terms of HE, research and international cooperation but also by intertwinement of areas such as IT, management, entrepreneurship, economics and law.
The research results will contribute to the development of knowledge in the field of management in education, recruitment and other relevant sciences in a way that the theoretical knowledge and models will take into account the social reality, thus ensuring a greater social relevance of the results, recognitions and recommendations, needed by both science and the knowledge society. The results will serve as the basis for developing theories, be useful for all stakeholders in education and employment, both at the system and institutional levels and at the same time be of direct importance to various stakeholders in Slovenia, as well as of indirect importance to the dialogue between Slovenia and the EU.
Significance for science
The research results will contribute to the development of knowledge in the field of education and employment management and other relevant scientific fields, by theoretical and practical findings and proposed measures and improvements taking into account the social reality and its needs, thus ensuring a greater social relevance of the results, needed by both science and the knowledge society. The research results will contribute to the development of science and profession new theories and approaches, and will be useful for all stakeholders in education and employment, both at the system and institutional levels.
Our research will contribute new knowledge on the effectiveness and efficiency of HE, and create intertwined and interdependent concepts and guidelines of HE policies, HE support systems and funding instruments, as well as modern concepts of performing and managing HEIs. In relation to HE funding, we will develop models of coordinated and complementary funding of HEIs (teaching) as well as students (participants in education). Our results and findings will shift the focus of research and education from students and teachers to graduates and their employers, from HEIs to the labour market or the knowledge society, and therefore strengthen the interdependence between the labour market and education from the perspective of participants and other stakeholders.
Our research will contribute to understanding career decisions of students and also to a better understanding of the correlations between students' entrepreneurial attributes, their understanding of the entrepreneurial environment, the perception of obstacles to the creation of a company and their intentions for creating a career in entrepreneurship.
The area of inclusive management of knowledge and recruitment of younger as well as older workers is a relative novelty both in Slovenia and abroad. Although our study will be based on the existing and already empirically analysed concepts and theories, it will introduce them in combinations, introduced by our research, which have never seen before.
The proposed research represents the first comprehensive economic, sociological and legal analysis of the precarious work in Slovenia where we neither dispose with a uniform understanding (operative definition) of precariousness, nor with empirical studies on the prevalence of new forms of work, reasons leading to them and their consequences. The regulatory framework will be dealt with comprehensively, addressing all regulations that affect the individuals deciding on the form of employment and the form of work. Recommendations will be based on a positive analysis of the reasons for the current regulatory regime (interests and attitudes of social actors) and the analysis of the feasibility of good practices from Western European countries.
We expect results that will also be original in terms of the usefulness of these and related theoretical models in relation to the current issues of educational and employment policy in both Slovenia and the EU: the analysis of the weaknesses in coordinating education and employment policies will provide not only the basis for further research, but also for guiding the transformation of Slovenian society into the knowledge society.
Significance for the country
As the possibilities of employment for young university graduates as well as for the elderly who find themselves on the labor market as jobseekers due to various circumstances are becoming smaller, we see a solution in entrepreneurship, especially in social entrepreneurship, as for both above mentioned groups. In the study, a model developed to connect psychological characteristics, sociological characteristics, supportive environment, obstacles and the intention to create a social enterprise can be applied to both target groups. The analysis will enable us to develop guidelines on what an ideal support package for young and hard-to-employ elderly people in the labor market should be for them to decide to start business as social entrepreneurs. A special emphasis will be given to students, since today’s students represent the potential entrepreneurs of the future. Based on the research results of an in-depth study of the factors determining the students’ entrepreneurial intentions, we will identify personal characteristics that positively influence the intention of students to set up their own company and, accordingly, formulate guidelines on how to promote these characteristics through the educational process. With the latter, we want to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship among young people. As a matter of fact, entrepreneurial intentions are shaped in the early stages of life, and it is therefore crucial that entrepreneurship is promoted through the educational process, thus enabling young people to develop relevant entrepreneurial competencies and skills on time.
The appropriate education management, both at the system and institutional level, will provide some solutions to the problems that have emerged over the past decade after the introduction of the Bologna process and an increased autonomy of HEIs. The latter are not properly managed, are becoming increasingly inefficient and ineffective, and don’t take into account the needs of the labour market and the society. The research results will contribute to their higher efficiency and more rational use of public funds. This will take into account the goals and expectations of employers, who always face the graduates as well as the education system with new demands and expectations.
Special attention will be given to acquiring of knowledge and skills in terms of sustainable development, lifelong education and the right choice of education leading to a successful career path, which includes vocational and professional oriented education as well (not necessarily academic). Professional knowledge and skills in particular have proven successful in many other European countries; they give young people a possibility to get employed faster and to acquire competences that are desirable for employers. Possible flexibility of education also in later age periods is necessary in fast-changing societies where jobs require a high level of digital literacy, understanding of Internet security, protection of intellectual property and understanding of interculturality and internationality.
The inclusion of modern teaching methods, the use of new technologies with an emphasis on innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and sustainability as well as the promotion of foreign language learning are the most current European guidelines for the field of education. By focusing appropriately on the acquisition of relevant competences (digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, etc.), the employment opportunities for younger and elderly people in the labor market are increasing.
Youth unemployment, thus unemployment of HE graduates as well, is an increasingly serious problem, especially in certain Southern European countries and in Slovenia. Tackling this problem requires a greater synergy between HE and employment policies, as well as solutions contributing to a better employability of youth. The aging population and the increasing working age (to ensure the sust
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
