Factors influencing teamwork and communication soft skills in project-based education

The turbulent changes of the 21st century have significantly rewritten the map of competences. The need for new skills and competences has emerged, boosted by the digitalization imperative and wave, and further exacerbated by the changes brought about by the coronavirus epidemic. The overnight survival of the pandemic in the world of work has shifted the landscape and methods of working to new levels, requiring significant human and worker resilience. This is why agility has been given a new impetus, and with it the so-called soft skills have moved up the hierarchy. Soft skills are a key element of competitive markets, teamwork and human skills. These elements are also reflected in projects, the labor market and education. Today's changes have increased the value of all competences that mean more effective interactions between individuals, competences, the ability to collaborate. However, the advance of the digital space and the reduction of the arena for personal interactions pose new challenges. All of these changes will be most pronounced for young adults and children (Generation Z and Alpha), so it is very important that the education system is involved in the development of soft skills. The present study aims to present the different arenas of soft skill development, based on the results of a primary research conducted in Hungary. Our work aims to illustrate the problem described above by means of a questionnaire survey of 910 people in 2024. We used basic statistical methods, correlation calculations and analysis of variance to draw our conclusions. Our aim is to show and analyze the intrinsic links between the competences required for effective teamwork, with a particular emphasis on the role of education in the process.