PERSEPSI MAHASISWA DAN EKSPEKTASI PEMBERI KERJA TERHADAP SOFT SKILL SERTA KESIAPAN KERJA GEN Z

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the gap between Generation Z students' perceptions and employers' expectations of the soft skills needed in the Industry 4.0 era, and measure students' readiness to enter the workforce. The issues raised focus on the discrepancy between students' views of their soft skills abilities and the industry's expectations of university graduates. This research is important given the importance of soft skills such as digital literacy, leadership, creativity, and emotional intelligence in the modern world of work. The method used was descriptive quantitative, with a sample of 299 students and 30 employers. Analysis techniques include Mann-Whitney U test and descriptive analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences between students' perceptions and employers' expectations on five of the six soft skill indicators. Students' readiness to face the world of work is in the “ready” category. This finding underscores the need to strengthen soft skills in higher education.

Keywords: Soft skills, Generation Z, work readiness, Industry 4.0, employer expectations.