Soft Skills: We Know They Need Them How Do We Teach Them?

1. Soft Skills: We Know They Need Them How Do We Teach Them? Trish Bobst National Curriculum Specialist trish.bobst@cengage.com Tuesday, February 14 Session 2 1:15 – 2:30 pm Room 101/102

2. Soft Skills & This Generation… • Gen Y learners (most of our students): • Are busy multi-taskers; media-oriented • Used to working on teams • Remain close to parents who raised them to think they are “stars” and “special” • Optimistic & confident; want to be rich and famous • Are achievement-oriented; need structure and feedback • Will negotiate anything • Lack diplomacy • Bring an “entertainment attitude” to school • Get bored quickly if it’s not FUN • Don’t think of computers & devices as “technology”

3. Through the Ages….. Before 1946 Silent Generation 1946-1959 Baby Boomers 1960-1979 Generation “X” 1980-1995 Generation “Y”

4. Generation Y Censured

5. What are “Soft Skills” to you? • Oral and written communication • Teamwork/collaboration • Work ethic/self-motivation/dependability/honesty • Critical-thinking/questioning/problem-solving • Risk-taking • Flexibility/adaptability • Leadership/influencing • Ability to work under pressure • Creativity/innovation/resourceful • Organizational/time management • Attention to detail

6. What are Soft Skills? • Moss and Tilly termed these subjective requisites as “soft skills, which are defined as skills, abilities, and traits that pertain to personality, attitude, and behavior rather than to formal or technical knowledge.” (Moss and Tilly 2001)

7. What are Soft Skills? • Soft skills are the qualities or social skills we all possess. They are the interpersonal skills we have and use when working with others—how we interact with our peers; how we network and communicate; how we empathize with others; our integrity, optimism, and enthusiasm; how we formulate important problems and find solutions for them.(Amstatnews, 2010)

8. What are Soft Skills? Soft skills, sometimes known as "people skills," are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable.

9. What Industry Says… • Technical skills ALONE do not make someone competitive in the job market • In fact, computer literacy skills are assumed! • Today’s workers demonstrate GAPS in: • Communication skills • Team/interpersonal skills • Problem solving • Quantitative reasoning • Business process knowledge • Project management

10. What Employers Say… Attributes Most Desirablein New Employees… • Ability to work productively on a diverse team • Oral & written communication skill • Ability to think critically and analytically • Resourcefulness in solving problems • Ability to locate, organize & evaluate information from multiple sources • Creativity & innovative spirit • Ability to understand and communicate quantitatively • Sense of integrity and ethics • Understanding of global cultures and values

11. Employers also… • Expect colleges & universities to prepare students in these areas • 63% say we are not doing our job • 87% rate this preparedness as critical to the United States remaining competitive in the global economy

12. What Recent Graduates Say… • Provide balance between general knowledge and major-specific skills (72%) • Many end up in fields not closely related to major • They AGREE with Employers! • Critical to success are: • Teamwork skills • Critical-thinking skills • Oral & written communication skills • Yet majority don’t think college prepared them well (51%)

13. 2003 #1 reason students chose to major in a particular subject

14. 2003 They were interested in or passionate about that field or subject.

15. 2009 #1 reason students choose to major in a particular subject

16. 2009 Career Opportunities Job Potential $$$

17. Maybe at one time this was true?

18. Recently…

22. Which would you hire? What if she added another certification? Now would you hire her?

29. There are different approaches • Teach soft skills as a piece of your core subject (integrated throughout) • Teach soft skills as a separate component of your core subject • Teach one unit of “soft skills” • Then teach a few units of core subject • Teach soft skills as an equal “piece of the pie” • Capstone, Assessment, Senior Project, etc.

30. Soft Skills – What % of grade? • 10% will affect a letter grade • If you keep it less than 20%, it won’t affect a grade in a big way

31. Think about this… • You could have great technical skills, but if you cannot communicate those skills, what good are they? • Aren’t Soft Skills more like… Life Skills?

32. What are Soft Skills? • Abilities for understanding communication • Interpersonal Skills that complement technical skills • Emotional intelligence • The capacity to behave appropriately

33. Appropriate Uses for Email and Memos Check One Box

34. The digital workplace is where work is what you do, not a place where you go to.

35. Soft skills are what you learn after you know everything else.

36. Soft Skills in Action • Participating as member of a team • Teaching others new skills • Exercising leadership • Communicating competently

38. Soft Skills for a Digital Workplace • Give your students a 360 degree education and a career advantage • Students become more marketable to employers • Signature two-page spread format • Robust Online companion site • Hands-on activities, scenarios, projects, problems, games, read, listen and quizzes

39. What is the content of these products? Written Communication • Email and Memos • Secrets of Clear Writing • Developing Reports and Proposals • Writing For Employment • Writing Professional Letters

40. What is the content of these products? Verbal Communication • Basics of Communication • Working With Customers • Developing Professional Telephone Skills • Improving Informal Communication • Making Formal Presentations

41. What is the content of these products? Problem Solving and Decision Making • Identifying and Defining the Problem • Solving the Problem • Thinking Critically • Group Decision Making and Problem Solving • Decision and Support Tools

42. What is the content of these products? Professionalism • Presenting Yourself Professionally • Developing a Professional Work Ethic • Developing Your Interpersonal Skills • Winning at Office Politics • Planning and Managing Your Career

43. What is the content of these products? Teamwork and Team Building • Working in Groups and Teams • Team Roles and Processes • Team Building and Development • Being a Team Leader • Having Successful Meetings

46. Learning

47. Online companion