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Bridging Communication Studies and Employability: ESCO-Based Curriculum Mapping and Job-Vacancy Skill Signals.

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Title: Bridging Communication Studies and Employability: ESCO-Based Curriculum Mapping and Job-Vacancy Skill Signals.
Authors: Ojan, Marina-Paola1 (AUTHOR), Lara-Navarra, Pablo1,2 (AUTHOR) plara@uoc.edu, Sanz-Martos, Sandra1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Education Sciences. Apr2026, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p606. 23p.
Subject Terms: *Employability, *Curriculum, *Career development, *Job classification, *Higher education, *Communications research, Labor market
Geographic Terms: Spain
Abstract: Universities are increasingly expected to bridge the gap between higher education, skills development, and graduate employability, yet evidence-based approaches to curriculum–labour market alignment remain limited in Communication Studies. This study examines which ESCO-mapped occupational profiles and transversal competencies are represented in official curricula of leading Spanish Communication programmes (RQ1), how demand for communication-related occupations evolved in Spain over 2018–2023 (RQ2), and where the most salient alignment gaps emerge to inform curriculum redesign (RQ3). We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining documentary analysis of programme verification reports and national disciplinary documentation, an ESCO-based mapping of curricular profiles, and labour-market intelligence from 2,701,503 job postings (2018–2023) mapped to ESCO to analyse demand dynamics, volatility, and skill patterns. Results show strong curricular convergence around a shared core of ESCO profiles (71.8% of identified codes shared across institutions) alongside institution-specific specialisations (28.2%). Labour demand fluctuated markedly across the period and exhibited heterogeneous volatility by occupation, and transversal competency patterns differed significantly across professional groupings, supporting segment-specific interpretations of alignment and mismatch. Overall, ESCO combined with job-posting analytics provides a replicable framework for continuous curriculum calibration and employability-oriented programme redesign, particularly for hybrid profiles that integrate technical, analytical, relational, and ethically grounded capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Education Sciences is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employability%22">Employability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum%22">Curriculum</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+development%22">Career development</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+classification%22">Job classification</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communications+research%22">Communications research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+market%22">Labor market</searchLink>
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  Data: Universities are increasingly expected to bridge the gap between higher education, skills development, and graduate employability, yet evidence-based approaches to curriculum–labour market alignment remain limited in Communication Studies. This study examines which ESCO-mapped occupational profiles and transversal competencies are represented in official curricula of leading Spanish Communication programmes (RQ1), how demand for communication-related occupations evolved in Spain over 2018–2023 (RQ2), and where the most salient alignment gaps emerge to inform curriculum redesign (RQ3). We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining documentary analysis of programme verification reports and national disciplinary documentation, an ESCO-based mapping of curricular profiles, and labour-market intelligence from 2,701,503 job postings (2018–2023) mapped to ESCO to analyse demand dynamics, volatility, and skill patterns. Results show strong curricular convergence around a shared core of ESCO profiles (71.8% of identified codes shared across institutions) alongside institution-specific specialisations (28.2%). Labour demand fluctuated markedly across the period and exhibited heterogeneous volatility by occupation, and transversal competency patterns differed significantly across professional groupings, supporting segment-specific interpretations of alignment and mismatch. Overall, ESCO combined with job-posting analytics provides a replicable framework for continuous curriculum calibration and employability-oriented programme redesign, particularly for hybrid profiles that integrate technical, analytical, relational, and ethically grounded capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Education Sciences is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/educsci16040606
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Career development
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      – SubjectFull: Communications research
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      – SubjectFull: Spain
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      – TitleFull: Bridging Communication Studies and Employability: ESCO-Based Curriculum Mapping and Job-Vacancy Skill Signals.
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            NameFull: Ojan, Marina-Paola
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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