University of Oulu strengthens working life skills in its degrees

Starting in autumn 2026, the University of Oulu will include six sets of generic skills, or general working life skills, in all degrees. The competences will be developed systematically during studies in all degree programmes, alongside sector-specific skills. The university's common competence objectives have been drawn up in a participatory process.

The selected common generic skills are analytical, critical and creative thinking skills; welfare and self-development skills; international and multicultural skills; sustainability, responsibility and ethical skills; multi-disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity skills, as well as communication, interaction and digital skills.

“We want to ensure that each of our students is equipped to solve future challenges and act responsibly in a rapidly changing world. Generic skills are primarily taught as part of field-specific courses, so that learning takes place in relation to the content being taught, not separately from it,” says Mirja Illikainen, Vice-Rector for Education at the University of Oulu.

“The process helps us to revise each course. It encourages both teachers and students to systematically pay attention to internalizing generic working life skills,” says Assistant Professor Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen from the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

“We noticed years ago that students could easily name field-specific skills, but not general working life skills. To assist with this, we established a working life course at that time, in which students learn, among other things, to name the skills they have acquired during their education and throughout their lives. They can use this in CVs and when introducing themselves. In addition, our graduates receive an appendix with their diploma that describes generic and field-specific skills.”

Doctors learn time management and explaining skills

A working life component has already been included in the degree programmes of medicine and dentistry, in which generic skills are taught throughout the degree.

“In the opening lecture of the first-year course, we discussed, through examples, how generic skills are reflected in studies and in the work of doctors and dentists,” says University Teacher Sanna Palosaari from the Faculty of Medicine.

“Our courses partly use continuous assessment, meaning students have weekly assignments and exams. Continuous assessment supports not only learning but also time management skills. In addition to the first assignments, students do small tasks related to time management and assessing their own stress level,” says Palosaari. She herself mainly teaches cell biology and histology to first-year medical and dental students.

“First-year students also practice information retrieval and the evaluation of scientific information in cooperation with two parallel courses. Together, these develop generic skills, such as data analysis skills and source criticism related to artificial intelligence,” Palosaari continues.

“Communication skills are also learned in group work on assignments. Students must learn to use medical terminology accurately, but also be able to explain things in layman’s terms when necessary.”

Multidisciplinarity into language studies

The Lingua Centre for Languages and Communication at the University of Oulu produces language and communication studies for all faculties of the university. A survey among teachers showed that of the general working life skills, communication and interaction skills and digital competence are most prominent in the courses. The second best consideration in Lingua's courses is the skills of well-being and self-development.

"Studying languages ​​and communication requires active presence and participation, so the area of ​​time management is most emphasized. In addition, self-assessment, reflection and self-leadership play an important role," says Lingua's University Teacher Jukka Käräjäoja.

"In terms of multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinary skills, Lingua's teachers want to develop in particular the ability to adapt to continuous change and the appreciation and acceptance of perspectives from different fields," says Käräjäoja.

The generic skills included in the degrees have been chosen in a participatory process. A total of 895 university employees – students, staff members or alumni – responded to the electronic survey prepared by the working group in spring 2024. In the participatory workshops in late 2024, degree-level competence objectives were defined for each generic working life skill set. A total of 120 people participated in the workshops.

Teachers are offered ample support to include generic skills in teaching and, for example, to develop assessment methods. Representatives of various employers will also speak in the workshops in late 2025.