Transversal Skills

With more frequent career mobility and the increasing functionality of A.I., transversal skills are vital to student/graduate success. Through a process of unprecedented collaboration, DCU Futures has architected a unique Transversal Skills Competence Framework, ensuring that these skills are embedded, assessed and evidenced in a rigorous and transparent way across programmes. As part of this, all students undertake an innovative module on Data Literacy and Analytics, and can study seven different languages at varying levels. 

DCU’s unique Transversal Skills strategy is designed to address three core questions: (i) how can we ensure that our students have the necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly changing and increasingly unscripted world? (ii) how can we support graduate recruiters in making better informed, evidence-based decisions in a way that saves time and recognises the growing relevance of a ‘skills first’ recruitment model? (iii) how can we support DCU’s vision to be a positive and impactful force in the context of disruption and the emergence of artificial intelligence (A.I.)?

Our Transversal Skills strategy brings an unprecedented level of rigour and transparency to skills development in higher education by formally integrating transversal skills into programme structures, so that students are formally assessed on these skills within their curriculum. This recognises that these skills, which are uniquely human, are central to the educational experience of students in the 21st century and, as such, should not orbit around the periphery of student life. 

The results of the skills assessments, which are underpinned by a set of universal rubrics to optimise for transparency and consistency, are then added to our unique MySkills platform. This digital platform, shortlisted for the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards 2025, allows students to log on and generate a personalised skills report that is based on the formal assessment of their transversal skills within their programme of study. 

In addition to this, the platform allows learners to record personal experiences, either inside or outside of university, through which they have developed these skills, and to rate themselves on their level of competence in these skills using the same universal rubrics that are applied within the programme. They can then generate a personalised and customised transversal skills report that is easy to understand and clearly differentiates between DCU-verified skills ratings and learners’ self-report ratings. 

This report, which can be shared with employers, complements traditional CVs and, crucially, focuses on learners’ skills rather than simply their area of study. As such, potential employers can get a deeper insight into an individual’s skillset while getting greater assurance about the credibility and accuracy of an applicant’s skills. In essence, the MySkills platform, which is unique in Ireland and internationally, helps DCU students to stand out in a competitive jobs market, while also helping recruiters to make more efficient and effective hiring decisions.