Identifying the Drivers of Human Capital Education in National University of Skill within the Fourth-Generation University Approach

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and explain the drivers of human capital education at the National University of Skill within the fourth-generation university approach and to develop a model responsive to its educational, technological, entrepreneurial, and societal requirements. A sequential qualitative design was employed. In the identification phase, 21 experts, including faculty members in human resource management, educational management, entrepreneurship, and business, distinguished instructors from the National University of Skill, and senior managers in education and human capital development, were recruited through snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti. For model validation, 15 experts were purposively selected, and the extracted model was assessed through a three-round Delphi process using an expert evaluation checklist and SPSS. Inter-subject agreement, Cohen’s kappa, and test–retest reliability were 0.73, 0.71, and 0.82, respectively. Thematic analysis initially generated 469 conceptual codes, which were refined to 114 final criteria after removing and integrating redundant codes. These criteria were organized into 24 subthemes and eight overarching themes: transformational entrepreneurial leadership, competency-based curriculum planning, technology-supported experiential pedagogy, professional development of faculty members, university–industry synergy, commercialization of applied innovation, development of psychological capital, and sustainable effectiveness monitoring. The three Delphi rounds confirmed expert consensus regarding the validity and relevance of the identified main themes and subthemes. The resulting model indicated that human capital education in a fourth-generation university is inherently multidimensional and depends on the integrated functioning of transformational leadership, competency orientation, technological capacity, systematic university–industry collaboration, entrepreneurship, innovation commercialization, and continuous effectiveness assessment. The proposed model suggests that the National University of Skill’s transition toward a fourth-generation university requires moving beyond conventional technical skill transfer toward the integrated development of professional, technological, entrepreneurial, and psychological competencies.