The Fourth Industrial Revolution will profoundly transform our way of life. It will create new opportunities and poses several challenges. Due to the digitization of business processes across the value chain, it is expected that millions of current jobs will be replaced by machines and new skills will be needed for new jobs created within Industry 4.0. Companies should focus on developing the skills of their employees to meet the requirements of the workplace of the future. The academe plays a crucial role in producing individuals who shall meet the highly specialized competencies and skills demanded by the Industry 4.0 job market. This study was taken on the challenge posed on the academe and aimed to provide critical insights on developing competencies of students aimed towards improving their employment readiness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Two hundred thirty (230) students of Pangasinan State University taking up BS Business Administration participated in the study. Employers in the Industry 4.0 workplace settings were perceived to require a Proficient level of competence in Technical, Managerial, Social, and Personal Competencies. Each competency cluster was considered to be equally important in Industry 4.0 jobs. The Junior Business Managers were found to possess an average level of competence in Technical Competencies and an above average level of competence in terms of Managerial, Socia,l and Personal Competencies. The level of competence of the students along with technical competencies was found to be insufficient to meet the required level of competence for Industry 4.0. On the other hand, students excelled along Social and Personal Competencies exhibiting high levels of competence way beyond the minimum required for Industry 4.0 employment. Thus, the researchers humbly recommended review of current curriculum, internship program guidelines, and collaboration with industry partners to improve the employment prospects of the Junior Business Managers. © 2023 Author(s).
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