Impact of Developing Soft, Digital, and Research Skills on The Job Performance of Engineering Graduates: A Mixed-Sector Study in Peruvian Public Education

Abstract

       The objective of this research was to analyze how the development of soft, digital, and research skills influences the job performance of engineering graduates trained at a Peruvian public university. To this end, a mixed sequential explanatory design was used to articulate quantitative and qualitative evidence based on the graduates' experience. In the quantitative phase, 600 graduates participated, responding to a Likert-type questionnaire to assess their levels of cross-cutting skills and their self-perception of professional performance. With this information, an ordinal logistic regression model was estimated to identify the predictive weight of each skill. Subsequently, in the qualitative phase, 125 of these participants answered open-ended questions aimed at delving deeper into the educational and work experiences associated with the use of these competencies. The analysis was performed using first- and second-cycle thematic coding. The results show that research competencies have the greatest impact on the probability of achieving high levels of job performance, followed by soft skills and, to a lesser extent, digital competencies. The negative coefficients recorded for low levels in each competency indicate that when these are not adequately developed, the possibility of superior professional performance decreases significantly. Complementarily, the qualitative narratives reveal gaps in leadership, communication, use of specialized software, research methodology, and practical experience, forcing many graduates to resort to self-training to respond to market demands. It is concluded that optimal job performance depends on the balanced development of the three competencies analyzed. In turn, the need to modernize the curriculum, strengthen practical training, and improve university-business links is highlighted in order to close gaps in job relevance and enhance the employability of graduates.