The Need of “Y” and “Z” Generations Soft Skills Development in Higher Education as a Requirement of the Modern Job Market

Abstract

The population born in 1998-2003 is gradually entering into the labor market. According to the theory of generations, such a population is simultaneously concerned with Generations “Y” and “Z”. Employers will find it challenging to hire employees of these generations, as their values and attitudes have been formed under the influence of information technologies. Most domestic enterprises and organisations are not ready or able to work in the information society. On the other hand, already today, employers are experiencing a shortage of labor, because the main reasons for its increase are the rapid pace of population ageing and the high migration flows of the working population in Ukraine. This situation causes the intensity of employment of “Y” and “Z” Generations employees, despite the fact that they have no work experience and developed professional skills, as evidenced by the results of research [8]. The representatives of the employers' companies have been noted that Generation “Y” had problems with practical (59%) and theoretical (36%) training, lack of important skills (32%), 72% of employers emphasised that this generation had higher salary expectations, 53% had exaggerated ideas about their abilities, and 51% had higher career expectations. Moreover, this indicates that the level of education does not form the skills and competencies required by employers today.