2025

Ahvenainen, Tarmo; Karttunen, Miia; Kronholm, Sirkku

The publication, Työelämäosaaminen korkeakoulutuksessa: kielet, viestintä ja geneeriset taidot (in English: Workplace Competences in Higher Education: Languages, Communication, and Generic Skills) presents a comprehensive view of the orientation to the world of work and connections with industries in higher education, focusing on the learning and teaching of languages, communication, and generic skills. The central focus is on South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), which, in its strategy, aims to bring expertise, international workforce, and new collaboration and business opportunities to the region. The articles in this publication illustrate how Xamk’s Common Studies Unit contributes to achieving these strategic goals. The publication is divided into three parts. The first part, Kaikki tiet vievät työelämään (All Roads Lead to the Workplace), discusses the skills future professionals will need in the workplace and how universities of applied sciences can support students in developing these skills. The second part, Monikielisiä kompetensseja rakentamassa (Building Multilingual Competences), delves into the requirements of an internationalizing work environment concerning language and communication skills and cultural competence. The third part, Oppimisen uudet muodot (New Forms of Learning), addresses learning in a digitalizing environment and the learning within work communities. The aim of the publication is to provide information about Xamk’s connections with the world of work in the teaching of languages, communication, and generic skills. The publication includes 11 articles and 15 authors, most of whom work at Xamk in language or communication teaching roles. There are also contributions from experts in stakeholder groups.