The purpose of this research was to look at how lateral entrants in the technical sector transfer their abilities. Many new employments in this industry are necessary as a result of the energy...Show moreThe purpose of this research was to look at how lateral entrants in the technical sector transfer their abilities. Many new employments in this industry are necessary as a result of the energy transition, but they can't be filled with the current workforce. Therefore, this study focused on researching the perceived relevance of lateral entrants and employers regarding transferable skills within the technical sector, and expanding on skill transfer theory by researching differences of skills within lateral entrants in the technical sector. The main hypothesis was to test if soft skills are perceived as more important than hard skills by employers and lateral entrants. Moreover, if lateral entrants score higher on average on soft skills than on hard skills. The general design of this study was both a between, and within-subject design. In this study, a single data collection approach (questionnaires) was used, and observatory explanations were established. The results of the study identified soft skills as the most transferable skills among technical lateral entrants. The findings show that, when it comes to skills, both lateral entrants and employers perceive soft skills to be the most relevant. Furthermore, the research indicates that, on average, lateral entrants scored substantially higher on soft skills than on hard abilities. Due to limitations regarding the acquisition of participants, the number of respondents was low (N=13). In relation to the procedure of this study, there may also be some possible constraints regarding the time and timing of the data acquisition. To better understand the implications of these results, future studies could focus on a bigger sample size and include ‘earlier employment sector’ as a control variable.Show less