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HETC Project University Development Grants (UDGs) Training Program for Proposal Writers. Lec. 4. Strengthening Soft Skills. by Dr BMK Perera Director/Career Guidance Unit University of Peradeniya. Soft skills are also referred to as. Employability skills Key skills Core skills
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HETC Project University Development Grants (UDGs) Training Program for Proposal Writers Lec. 4. Strengthening Soft Skills by Dr BMK Perera Director/Career Guidance Unit University of Peradeniya
Soft skills are also referred to as • Employability skills • Key skills • Core skills • Interpersonal skills • Transferable skills Fallows, 2002
Soft skills defined … • Skills, abilities and traits that pertain to personality, attitude and behavior Moss and Tilly, 1996
Soft skills: The two domains Intrapersonal (Motivational) Interpersonal (Interactive) Overt and covert behaviors leading to success or failure
Examples of Interpersonal (interactive) soft skills … • Team work • Relationship-building • Adaptability • Written and oral communication • Friendliness • Attire • Grooming
Examples of Intrapersonal (motivational) soft skills • Planning/ organizing • Taking initiative • Problem solving • Showing enthusiasm • Stress tolerance • Dependability • Creative thinking and innovation • Time management • Willingness to learn • Coachability
Importance • Employers criticize university output as having their heads full of theories, concepts and principles but graduates are often ill-equipped to deal with real life situations • ‘Soft skills are a lot harder to teach in the world of work‘ Wall Street Journal Article, 2002
Importance (continued) • Companies are going global, and often, technical experts are called upon to do a variety of non-technical tasks requiring soft skills • Currently, people management skills are placed higher than strategic management skills and process management • Source: BMW Presentation made at University of Rhode Island, 2002 Effective_engineer
Predictors of success in the world of work Predicts < 30% of a person’s success IQ Predicts >70% of a person’s success EQ AQ Relates to resilience Soft skills domain
Targeting soft skills • Inclusion of career guidance in academic program • Outward bound training (Experiential learning) • Debates/ public speaking competitions/ Toastmasters Club • Strengthening of student societies • Competitions for projects displaying innovative thinking and team work • Mentoring programs within and outside the system (limited numbers)
Targeting soft skills in academic programs • Lectures/ workshops on campus • Time management • Stress management • Conflict resolution/ negotiation/ mediation • Effective presentations • Assertive behavior • Understanding teamwork • Covey’s 7 habits of effective people • CV writing and interview facing (in the last year)
Evolution of soft skills teaching models Embedded model Highest level of integration Integrated model Skills taught within a given discipline, specialty or faculty Centralized support service providing generic skills, operating outside curriculum/ Can offer ‘Bolted on’ courses Learning Centre model (Expect students to acquire soft skills while following their academic programs Osmosis model
Targeting soft skills in Outward bound Training • Popular with the corporate sector • Historically used for training survival skills to seamen in 1941 • Highly participative • Interactive • Simulates real life situations • Adaptable to needs of the learner • Excellent for changing attitudes and developing team spirit
Targeting soft skills in Outward bound Training • MIT, Sloan Center, Sloan School for Management example • Provided by outside organization (off the campus) • Used to build camaraderie • Students set personal goals • Decide on extracurricular activities to engage in • Develop academic operating norms for the semester (Develop a team charter) • A lot of physical activities
Intervention 1 First, select a set of soft skills to target Intervention 2 Intervention 3 Way to develop the proposal… Equifinality
-Identify concrete needs for university or faculty Determine possible overlaps -Augment teaching with programs where needed Soft skill 1 First, select an activity/ intervention Soft skill 2 Soft skill 3
Irrespective of the approach there is a need to look at; • Cost, time and feasibility issues • Degree of change possible • Relevance to the university
Shedding inhibitions and Developing assertiveness
Setting new life goals
Speaking about one's own life ...
Awareness programs for diverse categories of staff