PREPARING HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATES FOR THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: NARROWING DOWN THE GAP THROUGH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The relationship between higher education and the world of work has been discussed for the past few
decades, in terms of, among others, contribution of higher education to the labour market, in the form
of manpower supply. The market requires that higher education graduates fulfill certain competencies
and in fact they are considered more important in the recruitment process than the degree itself. In
Industrial Revolution 4.0 which is characterized by trends such as Internet of Things, robotics, virtual
reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), the way people live and work has changed and because
many jobs are predicted to be lost due to, among others, automation, it is important that higher education
institutions comprehend the changing nature of the work and map the labour market condition. With the
challenge of the 4th Industrial Revolution, it is of utmost necessity to prepare students during their study
time, 3-4-year period. This paper discuss the importance of mapping the labour market for the purpose
of preparing students to enter the labour market and equiping them with competencies for the 4.0
industrial revolution and other changes and adjustment to the dinamic labour market. Secondly this
paper will discuss the importance of extracurricullar activities in higher education level. It is true that
work competencies are mostly gained outside the classrooms, where students deal with real work
situation. When designed carefully, extracurricular activities become very effective to gain certain
competencies that are important for the working life.