Soft Skills: We Know Our Students Need Them, But How Do We Teach Them?

Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western

OUR FOCUS IS YOU!


Soft Skills: We Know

Our Students Need Them, But How Do We Teach Them?

Mary SommersExecutive Sales [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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”


Why “Generation Y”…

• I've always wondered about this myself. Now I know........

- The Silent generation, people born before 1946.

- The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and1959.

- Generation X , people born between 1960 and 1979.

- Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 1995.

Why do we call the last one Generation Y? I did not know, but a caricaturist explains it eloquently ..Learn something new!


Generation Y

Censured


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, p. 44).


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


What Industry Says…

• Technical skill ALONE does 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


What Employers Say…

Attributes Most Desirable in 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


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


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%)


Which would you hire?

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





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.


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?


Soft Skills At Work

• Concise problem-based video “field trips” show realistic workplace issues that require students to find a solution.

• Accompanying printed casebook provides a conceptual framework for solution development—students choose which tools to use instead of being shown and told what to do.

• Broken into five sections: Career Building, Cyber “You,” Teamwork, Technical and Writing skills, and Presentation Skills. Each section is accompanied by a video which is approximately 10 minutes long.

• All videos include closed captioning for students unable to access the audio element.


Soft Skills At Work

• Chapter 1: Career Preparation (Video: The Interview)

• Chapter 2: Your Online Persona (Video: Interview Follow-Up)

• Chapter 3: Written and Verbal Communication Skills(Video: Useful Software Skills)

• Chapter 4: Team Dynamics & Generational Differences (Video: Team Dynamics)

• Chapter 5: Effective Presentations (Video: The Big Presentation)


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 siteHands-on activities, scenarios, projects, problems, games, read, listen and quizzes


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



• Verbal Communication– Basics of Communication– Working With Customers– Developing Professional Telephone Skills– Improving Informal Communication– Making Formal Presentations



• 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




Reproducible Binder … spring 2010

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Teamwork

Professionalism

Includes 30-pack student access codes (additional codes can be purchased, as needed)


Status of Career Cluster Implementation

• States are implementing career clusters in their curriculum in order to receive Perkins Funding.

• The Dept of Educations 16 Career Clusters recommends a sequence of courses for each cluster.

• Status of Career Clusters Implementation Across the Nation

• http://www.careerclusters.org/resources/institutes/cci2005/ImplementationAcrosstheNation.pdf


Quick Skills iMPACT Interactive Text CD (Quick Skills)

• The Customer Service section provides foundations for effectively working with others. Covering areas such as forming good relationships, soothing unhappy customers and using the telephone as a customer service tool.

• The Decision Making and Problem Solving section covers topics such as thinking outside the box, team decision making and creating positive change in the workplace, Decision Making and Problem Solving will build upon the user's basic knowledge allowing them to feel more confident in this area.

• The Speaking and Presenting section provides foundations for improving presentations. Covering such topics as knowing your audience, overcoming stage fright and creating visual aids.

• The Teamwork section covers such topics as the nature of teamwork, techniques for effective listening and speaking and developing trust among your teammates.

• The What Your Employer Expects section provides solid information on what employers are looking for from their employees. Topics covered include accepting responsibility, being a team player and providing service to both the internal and external customer.


Quick Skills iMPACT Interactive Text CD

• 9780538449359 DEMO CD• Quick Skills iMPACT Interactive Text CD Package • 9780538449328 (0538449322); • The CD package provides a convenient

electronic format that is easy to use. It includes forms that can be completed electronically and emailed to the instructor or printed. Students also have access to Powerpoint slides and flash files.


http://www.cengage.com/school/teamup/

Documents

Soft Skills: We Know Our Students Need Them, But How Do We Teach Them?