SOFT SKILLS IN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS TRAINING: AN EMPLOYABILITY ANALYSIS IN LATIN AMERICA

Abstract

Employability in automotive technical education has traditionally been associated with technical proficiency, often overlooking the structural role of soft skills in sustainable labor market integration. This study examines the relationship between soft skills development and employability among automotive mechanics graduates in Ecuador, with broader implications for Latin America, based on data collected between 2020 and 2025, with particular emphasis on the 2025 assessment cycle. A quantitative descriptive approach was employed through surveys administered to 90 graduates and 12 employers from the Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano. Findings reveal a significant perceptual gap: while graduates report strengthened competencies in professional ethics (73.9%) and problem-solving (61.4%), employers identify deficiencies in these same areas (58.3%). The results further indicate that the quality and duration of pre-professional internships positively influence job placement outcomes. In response, the study proposes the Integral Technical Employability Model Based on Soft Skills (MIET-Soft), which integrates explicit curricular alignment, structured internships, contextualized performance assessment, and longitudinal employability tracking. The findings suggest that systematic integration of competencies such as communication, leadership, and teamwork is essential for sustainable employability in contemporary technical sectors.