Preparing Students for a changing world: Future Skills for transforming the way we learn and live together

The rise of artificial intelligence, ongoing digital transformation, and global polycrises such as the climate crisis have created an environment increasingly defined by complexity and unpredictability. In this landscape of rapid change, higher education institutions face the challenge of preparing learners to navigate and actively shape a complex and uncertain future. This is where Future Skills come into play. Future Skills include the ability to think systemically, reflect ethically, deal with ambiguity or collaborate across boundaries. As described by Ehlers (2020), “Future Skills are competences that allow individuals to solve complex problems in highly emergent contexts of action in a self-organised way and enable them to act (successfully).” In other words, they allow us to move forward and act in unforeseeable times of constant change. The Future Skills concept referred to in the article is the NextSkills framework developed by the NextEducation research group, which comprises 17 scientifically based Future Skills profiles.

For Dual Higher Education Institutions (DHEIs) such as DHBW (Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University), this shift presents both a challenge and a remarkable opportunity. DHEIs stand out because they alternate academic study with workplace immersion, offering a living laboratory in which students test ideas, reflect on practical experiences and refine their abilities in authentic settings. This alternating rhythm of theory and practice creates unparalleled opportunities for feedback loops with peer learners, co-workers and supervisors and iterative learning, an ideal point of departure for the very skills that will be needed by todays and tomorrow’s learners, citizens and employees.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

The relevance of Future Skills isn’t just an academic debate — it’s something widely discussed in educational institutions, politics and on the level of the European Union. And it is something we at DHBW hear directly from dual partners, i.e. the companies and organizations that employ and host students during the practical phases of their study programs. Again and again, they express the same wish: their future employees and team members are not just technically trained, but also equipped with the mindset and skills needed for innovation, leadership, and resilience. But it is about more than that: we also see and feel in our societies that it is people willing to take responsibility for change and well-being that we need in order to peacefully live in democratic societies.

In our NextEducation research group, we investigate, exchange, teach, experiment and connect to find ways of fostering a learner’s Future Skills in different initiatives with other partners. For example, in the Erasmus+ project “EngageAll,” we examine how student civic engagement can be promoted while simultaneously supporting the development of Future Skills through that engagement. In the European project HUCO LABS, we take a closer look at the competences needed by the technician of the future. The following section introduces one of the initiatives named DigBridge Dual focused on implementing Future Skills within the context of dual study programs.

Rethinking Dual Study: Experiences and Practices on how to bring Future Skills into (dual) Higher Education

DigBridge Dual is built on the idea that dual study programs offer the perfect environment for future-oriented learning. The close link between theoretical studies and workplace practice allows for constant application, testing, and reflective learning processes—three pillars of meaningful Future Skills development.

To make the most of this, the DigBridge Dual project designed a multi-stage didactic approach that accompanies students throughout the entirety of their studies. At its core is a pedagogical concept that encourages students to engage in self-directed and reflective learning, grounded in their real-world experiences. This goes far beyond traditional internships or practical reports. It creates a rhythm of learning that is dynamic, personal, and continuous. Students take part in Future Skills workshops, deepen their understanding in learning modules, and maintain a digital portfolio that evolves alongside their academic and professional growth. But the real innovation lies in the idea of moving from isolated learning checkpoints to a continuous “reflection flow”—a process that follows the student over time, connecting the dots between experiences, challenges they faced, and growth moments.

This shift is also supported by the use of peer-circle-based reflection, where students give and receive feedback in structured formats that deepen understanding and awareness. It’s about creating learning spaces where critical thinking, collaboration, and self-awareness become habits rather than exceptions, and where self and peer reflection promote competence development.

We are currently consulting study coordinators at our university on how to customize our resources and concepts to their challenges, Future Skills needs and study program structures. As the project team as well as the professors, teachers, study coordinators do not have the resources to provide all the necessary consulting, nudging and reflection impulses, some of the most important elements of our concept are digital tools. They make Future Skills visible, tangible, scalable—and fun. They can be adapted to different disciplines and contexts and are thus suitable for different study programs, individual contexts as well as teaching and learning situations.

To bring the concept of Future Skills to life, DigBridge Dual offers a rich array of tools and learning materials that guide students in their Future Skills reflection.The Future Skills Compass for example is an online instrument where learners rate their comfort in authentic, challenge‑driven scenarios and instantly receive a personalized spider‑web profile. This visual snapshot not only highlights areas for growth but also serves as a springboard for reflective dialogues, where students anchor their self‑assessments in personal narratives and peer feedback. The Future Skills Compass also allows study coordinators to adapt the scenarios to different disciplines and study programs.

The Compass offers a range of opportunities for engaging with Future Skills development in both academic and professional contexts. Users can explore challenging scenarios to reflect on their own actions, receive personalized feedback based on validated assessments, and gain deep insights into their strengths and growth areas. Real learning experiences can be analyzed with AI support, enabling nuanced reflections and targeted development suggestions. Additionally, learners can document and track their progress over time, integrate context-specific competence models, and align skill profiles with educational or professional standards.

Additionally, an e‑portfolio platform replaces static annual, PDF-based reflection reports with a dynamic digital space: students document six reflection milestones each year, attach evidence from both academic projects and work assignments, and continuously chart their evolving skillset supported by peer and supervisor assessment. This tool empowers them to make their Future Skills learning processes visible.

To make abstract competencies more tangible, a Future Skills Card Game turns group sessions into dynamic, hands-on workshops and helps students develop the vocabulary they need to talk about Future Skills and articulate their own growth. A special “taboo” version adds an extra layer of engagement by encouraging players to describe competences without using key terms, fostering deeper understanding through playful constraint. The game also serves as a valuable tool for deepening reflection, for example in peer coaching sessions.

Beyond the structured curriculum, we use Open Badges as a flexible and transparent method to showcase competences that are often acquired through informal or non-traditional learning experiences. These digital credentials make students’ Future Skills development visible, verifiable, and easily shareable across platforms such as professional networks or e-portfolios. By doing so, they bridge the gap between academic achievements and the practical skills valued in the job market.

Evaluations show positive effects of the Future Skills approach

The project evaluations showed that the majority of participants felt the program effectively introduced them to the concept of Future Skills, with over two-thirds expressing strong interest in further learning beyond the core curriculum. Qualitative feedback emphasized the value of interactive, learner-centered design, highlighting a high level of acceptance, strong motivation to continue learning, and the perceived importance of Future Skills, while also pointing to the need for more personalized, competence-based learning approaches

Of course, embedding Future Skills into dual study programs is not without its hurdles. Curriculum overload is a common concern and remains a challenge in many academic systems. There’s also cultural resistance at times—whether from faculty used to traditional teaching models or from students who initially focus more on grades than growth.

In our DigBridge Dual initiative, we have taken a practical approach to these obstacles. Rather than layering new content on top of existing programs, we’ve focused on integration—a challenge we are facing in close collaboration with the study program coordinators. Future Skills development is aligned with core learning objectives and linked directly to students’ workplace experiences. Learning materials and formats are designed to fit into existing schedules and workflows. Students shift from punctual reflection to a continuous reflection of the Future Skills development throughout their studies.

Most importantly, educational concepts with Future Skills also promote a cultural shift. One that sees learning not as a delivery of knowledge, but as a transformative process.

Looking Ahead: Next Steps for Future-Ready Education

Future-oriented education depends on turning the dual study experience into a learning experience, where students become not only job-ready, but ready for a future that is uncertain and dynamic. In Spain, as in Germany and elsewhere, there’s growing recognition that dual study programs must evolve. It’s not enough to provide pathways into employment, we must also prepare students to thrive in a world that is constantly transforming. In this context, Future Skills are essential for empowering learners to become active citizens ready to take responsibility.

Higher education stands at a critical juncture. No longer is it sufficient to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from classroom to students; we must empower students to transform—as thinkers, as innovators and as leaders capable of shaping unpredictable futures. By weaving Future Skills into the structure, culture and curricula of dual higher education, DHEIs can move beyond employability towards genuine future‑readiness. What is your future vision for Spanish (dual) higher education?

Want to Learn More?

If you’re working in higher education, vocational training, or curriculum innovation, the NextEducation Research Group at DHBW offers a wealth of resources and insights. All materials are open access and can be used in various settings, independent of the DigBridge context. They are individually adaptable and open for further development.

Let’s connect and exchange ideas!

Information and all of our learning materials: https://nextskills.org/en/start/

More about the NextEducation Research Group: https://next-education.org/en/home/

Link to the Future Skills Compass Tool https://www.future-skills-kompass.org/en/

References:

Ehlers, U.-D. (2020). Future Skills. Lernen der Zukunft – Hochschule der Zukunft. Springer-Verlag