Development and Preliminary Validation of the Future Readiness Competencies Assessment Instrument (FRCAI) for Higher Education

Pedja Ašanin Gole, Anita Maček, Žaneta Trajkoska, Meri Karanfilovska, Jordanka Čerepnalkova-Trajkoska, Igor Stubelj, Tatjana Horvat

Abstract

Higher education institutions need credible ways to examine how students and young professionals perceive their preparedness for technological, economic and societal uncertainty. Existing competency frameworks are valuable but rarely integrated into a single multidimensional instrument. This study presents the development and preliminary validation of the 22-item Future Readiness Competencies Assessment Instrument (FRCAI), covering five proposed domains. Development involved literature review, comparative framework analysis, expert review and pilot testing. The instrument was administered to 270 respondents recruited through partner higher education institutions in Slovenia, Austria and North Macedonia. Overall internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α = .892), while domain coefficients ranged from .598 to .805. Parallel analysis favoured three factors; a theory-constrained five-factor exploratory solution showed substantial cross-domain overlap. Confirmatory factor analysis of the prespecified five-factor model produced mixed fit (CFI = .859, TLI = .837, RMSEA = .071, SRMR = .063). Perceived preparedness was highest in Digital, Data and Media Competence and lowest in Financial and Economic Resilience. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the FRCAI and provide a transparent basis for item refinement, independent validation and curriculum-oriented diagnostic use, rather than definitive confirmation of a stable five-factor model.

Keywords: future readiness; competence assessment; higher education; self-assessment; curriculum evaluation