Socio-emotional Competencies and the Development of Employability in Higher Arts Education: Evidence From a Romanian Case Study
Keywords:
socio-emotional competencies, employability, higher arts education, transferable competencies, sustainable employability, Romanian case studyAbstract
Recent transformations in the labor market have highlighted the importance of socio-emotional competencies as key determinants of employability and sustainable career development. Despite their growing relevance, relatively little research has examined these competencies within the context of higher arts education. Characterized by occupational mobility, interdisciplinary collaboration, and often discontinuous career pathways, higher arts education increasingly plays a strategic role in fostering competencies that extend beyond disciplinary expertise. This study investigates how students in theatre and performing arts programmers perceive the development of socio-emotional competencies during their university education and how they assess the relevance of these competencies for labor market integration. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining a quantitative analysis of questionnaire data collected from a sample of 72 students with a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. The findings indicate that adaptability and flexibility (M = 3.96), critical and reflective thinking (M = 3.85), creativity and innovation (M = 3.79), and effective communication (M = 3.75) received the highest ratings, whereas resilience and stress management (M = 3.21) together with leadership and initiative (M = 3.29) emerged as the least developed socio-emotional competencies. The qualitative evidence further suggests that these competencies are acquired primarily through implicit learning processes embedded in collaborative and practice-based educational experiences rather than through explicit curricular interventions. The study therefore highlights the close relationship between socio-emotional competencies and sustainable employability in higher arts education. Building on these findings, it proposes several curricular directions aimed at strengthening graduates' professional preparation and their capacity to respond effectively to the evolving demands of a contemporary artistic career.
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