Rail Sector Expectation and Requirements for Higher Education and Students’ Expectations from Rail Companies in Slovakia and Czech Republic

The rail sector needs employees equipped with new skills, competences and advanced knowledge of new technologies. Higher education institutions specializing in rail-related subjects must respond appropriately to these needs. The paper deals with the expectations and requirements of railway companies in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which are a partial result of research carried out within the international project Erasmus + KA203 ASTONRail. The paper describes the expectations and requirements of the railway companies involved for the knowledge and skills of graduates based on both a questionnaire survey and a job survey. These requirements are divided into three levels of management: strategic, tactical and operational. In addition to the companies’ requirements for students, the satisfaction level of the railway companies with regards to the knowledge and skills of the graduates was also investigated. Using the Focus Group method, students’ expectations from their future employers in the railway transport sector were determined, which were then confronted with employers’ requirements for graduates.