Trigger 1

Learning objective 1. Identify the skills needed for International BBA graduates

For this study I have considered the following approach:
a. understand the generic skills the employers would expect from their employees
b. understand what additional skills should an international BBA graduate have
c. understand if there are specific skills required for Finnish market

To find the generic skills required, I have researched several materials in Internet, focusing on the key words like "Skills employers would expect" or "Future employability". One article written by Susan Adams on forbes.com seems like the perfect summary of those top ten most appreciated skills that an employee should have in order to fulfill his duties at work:

1. Ability to work in a team structure
2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems
3. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization
4. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work
5. Ability to obtain and process information
6. Ability to analyze quantitative data
7. Technical knowledge related to the job
8. Proficiency with computer software programs
9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports
10. Ability to sell and influence others

I have to add here a remark: it is often that skills only are not enough to make one a desired candidate for a job. "I care" weights a lot more than "I know" and for this remark I might have to dedicate a special blog. However, let me just list here a set of personal attributes - according to a material by Department of Education, Victoria, Australia - that would complement the skills and would complete the profile for a best candidate for a position:

• loyalty
• commitment
• honesty and integrity
• enthusiasm
• reliability
• personal presentation
• commonsense
• positive self-esteem
• sense of humour
• balanced attitude to work and home life
• ability to deal with pressure
• motivation
• adaptability

In my opinion the above listed skills and attributes should exist in every International BBA graduate's profile; in addition I would see the knowledge of foreign languages and knowledge of local market(s) and cultures essential in being successful at work, especially considering that a BBA graduate woud target managerial and leadership positions.

Regarding to Finnish market specific requirements, I would rather list a collection of factors that could become obstacles in one's career path - as presented in a study project by Yulia Shumilova ⁄ Yuzhuo Cai ⁄ Elias Pekkola:

• Lack of Finnish/Swedish language skills
• Lack of the right contacts / access to professional networks
• Lack of opportunities to gain relevant work experience (e.g. though internships)
• Small labour market
• Lack of career guidance at higher education institutions
• Ethnic/cultural/religious discrimination
• Lack of access to job search information
• Lack of career advancement opportunities
• Residence permit restrictions

Sources:

1. The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 2015 Graduates, Susan Adams, Nov 2014 - http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/11/12/the-10-skills-employers-most-want-in-2015-graduates/#b75a1f619f6f
2. Employability Skills, as published on Youth Central web site - http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-careers/planning-your-career/employability-skills
3. Employability Skills, as published by Department of Education, Victoria, Australia, 2006 - http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/teachingresources/careers/employabilityskills1.pdf
4. Employability of International Graduates Educated in Finnish Higher Education Institutions, survey by Yuzhuo Cai, Yulia Shumilova, Elias Pekkola, ISBN number for online version: ISBN 978-952-10-8152-1 (PDF) - http://www.helsinki.fi/urapalvelut/valoasurvey/pubData/source/VALOA09.pdf

Learning objective 2. Understand the process behind identifying (authorize for recognition) the BBA degree of UAS

According to the information available on Finnish National Board of Education (Opetushallitus) web site, in Finland the national administration of education and training has a two-tier structure:

1. The Ministry of Education and Culture is the highest authority and is responsible for all publicly funded education in Finland. The Ministry is responsible for preparing educational legislation, all necessary decisions and its share of the state budget for the Government.
2. The Finnish National Board of Education is the national development agency responsible for early childhood education and care, pre-primary, basic, general and vocational upper secondary education as well as for adult education and training. Higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Culture. 

The Finnish higher education system comprises universities (yliopisto / universitet) and universities of applied sciences, UAS (ammattikorkeakoulu, AMK / yrkeshögskola, YH). All universities engage in both education and research and have the right to award doctoral degrees. The universities of applied sciences (UAS) are multi-field institutions of professional higher education that engage in applied research and development.

The Finnish National Board of Education is the National Coordination Point for the European Qualifications Framework appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The National Coordination Point supports and guides the relationship between the national qualification system and the European Qualifications Framework together with other national authorities.

And before all, the degree granting process is conditioned by students participating in the respective educational programs by attending courses, completing the assignments and passing the examinations.

Sources:

1. The Finnish National Board of Education web site - http://www.oph.fi/english/

Learning objective 3. Define (concepts that could form) the bridge between skills and professional identity

It is a sentence from a study by Douwe Beijaard, Paulien C. Meijer, Nico Verloop that imprinted in my memory and defined the way I understand the concept of identity:
"Identity is not something one has, but something that develops during one’s whole life."

All a new borne child has - in matter of knowledge - is potential. Skills are developed in time, and same applies to one's identity: you know what you are and know what you aim to become. Professional identity - at one point in time - is the collection of skills and attributes that form a profile that enable to define a unique individual as "self" in his/her relations with society.

In my opinion, educational institutions - in all their variety as listed above in the Learning objective 2 - are the bridge between skills and professional identity.

Sources:

1. Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity, Douwe Beijaard*, Paulien C. Meijer, Nico Verloop, July 2003 - Teaching and Teacher Education 20 (2004) 107–128, http://www.journals.elsevier.com/teaching-and-teacher-education