21st Century Professional Development - Bridging the Gap Between Higher Education and Working Life
Abstract: The rapid social and technological development in the knowledge society has changed the working environments, organizational structures and ways of collaboration. This requires new skills from the graduating students entering working life. The need for change is acknowledged in universities, but very often insufficient resources or lack of expertise within the university hinder the implementation. Technology is often emphasized in staff training at the expense of the social and behavioral aspect that 21st century professional skills are based on. At Tampere University of Applied Sciences, new effective ways of bridging the gap between higher education and working life have been sought. Expertise from outside the university plays a central role in an innovative, coaching-based approach to integration of social technology in education together with faculty competence building.