Gaps Between Students’ Self-Perceived Digital and Sustainability Competencies and the Expectations of the Wood & Furniture Industry

As the wood and furniture industry moves towards the vision of Industry 5.0, a major challenge remains addressing the lack of competencies. This study examines the self-perceived digital and sustainability competencies of 433 final year students at different levels of wood science and technology education in Slovenia and compares them with the expectations of 28 industry stakeholders. Using the established competency frameworks of DigComp and GreenComp, which represent generic competencies, as well as 24 profession-specific competencies related to digitalization and sustainability, the study uses survey data analysis to identify possible discrepancies. The results suggest that students’ self-assessment increases only slightly with increasing educational level, while the expectations of industry stakeholders increase significantly more, leading to notable discrepancies. At the secondary level, stakeholders place greater emphasis on developing students’ generic digital and sustainability competencies, while at the tertiary level, they place increasing importance on profession-specific competencies. It is worth noting that some stakeholders assessed certain competencies as not required for graduates on certain level of education. The study highlights the need for coherent and vertically aligned curriculum structures that reflect evolving competency expectations at all qualification levels. The study shows several areas in which the discrepancy between students’ self-assessments and the expectations of industry stakeholders is particularly pronounced. It highlights the need to better align educational content with the needs identified by industry stakeholders, while recognizing the role of wider social partnership in curriculum development. Such alignment and collaboration is essential to equip graduates with the competencies they need to make a meaningful contribution to the digital and sustainable transformation of the wood and furniture sector.