Aligning Higher Education with Workforce Competency Requirements in Data Science and Electric Vehicles: A Systematic Literature Review

Pritam Kumar and Ximan Zong
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Pritam Kumar: MSME Business School, Department of Digital Business Management, Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand
Ximan Zong: MSME Business School, Department of Sustainable Business Management, Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand

European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 2026, vol. 13, issue 3, 694-720

Abstract: Rapid digitalisation and decarbonisation are reshaping the relationship between higher education and work, creating pressure for curricula to respond to emerging workforce competency requirements without becoming narrowly tool-driven. This systematic literature review examines data science and electric vehicle (EV) industries as comparative high-tech sectors within the new economy, representing the digital and green transitions, respectively. Using a PRISMA-informed protocol, 40 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2010 and 2025 were synthesised: 20 from data science and 20 from EV-related fields. The analysis was interpreted through graduate employability and university–industry collaboration perspectives to move beyond a simple inventory of technical skills. Six competency clusters were identified in each domain, together with six cross-cutting capabilities: systems thinking, digital fluency, communication, problem solving under uncertainty, responsibility, and lifelong learning. Four mechanisms for higher education–industry alignment were also identified: competency-based curriculum mapping, authentic and work-integrated learning, recurring employer participation, and flexible upskilling pathways. The comparison shows that both sectors challenge discipline-bound educational models because workplace performance increasingly depends on the integration of technical knowledge, judgement, communication, ethics, and adaptation. The study proposes a higher education–industry competency alignment framework and discusses implications for graduate employability, equitable access to applied learning, institutional governance, and workforce development in data science and the electric vehicle industry.

Keywords: graduate employability; curriculum reform; digital transition; green transition; work-integrated learning; interdisciplinarity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eur:ejserj:509

DOI: 10.26417/rp6089t6

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