The Importance of Soft Skills Training in the Curriculum of Higher Education

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anupama Shekhawat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training

Quality higher education drives employability in the Middle East

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 1057-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Nauffal ◽  
Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse and explain the high rates of employability of one group of Middle East youth by focussing on liberal arts and soft skills education as an integral part of quality higher education. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs the survey research method using questionnaires, focus groups and interviews to understand the labour market dynamics in Lebanon and explore factors that correlate positively with gainful employment with a special focus on the graduates of an institution that emphasises the liberal arts and soft skills training. Findings The paper finds that quality higher education – particularly with a focus on soft skills and internships – boosts the potential of graduates to secure their first jobs after graduation. Research limitations/implications Reliable data on higher education, employability and youth are scarce in Lebanon and the region. The paper is based on one labour market study in Lebanon while seeking to extrapolate to Lebanese youth as a whole as well as reflect on employability and youth in the Middle East region. Practical implications The paper demonstrates support for improving quality in higher education as well as making soft skills training and the liberal arts critical components for increased employability of youth in Lebanon and the Middle East. Originality/value The paper is innovative in its reliance on primary data from a labour market survey as such data are scarce in Lebanon. In addition, advocacy for soft skills training and the liberal arts in the midst of focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and other professional education at the university level is rare in the Middle East.

scholarly journals Employability of international students: Strategies to enhance their experience on work-integrated learning (WIL) programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanh Pham ◽  
Dat Bao ◽  
Eisuke Saito ◽  
Raqib Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Communication Styles ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Qualitative Review ◽  
Multicultural Diversity ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

This paper presents a systematic qualitative review of relevant literature, documents and reports, and critically discusses issues facing international students undertaking work-integrated learning (WIL) activities as part of their higher education in Australia. Initiatives utilised to better support international students on these WIL placements are described. Based on an evaluation of the data reviewed, the discussion highlights two main challenges to international students’ employment experiences: a limited competence in English communication, and a limited understanding of the local working context. In seeking explanations for the above, the authors identified factors such as inadequate student-entry procedures, limited opportunities for socialisation, limited input in cultural protocols, and the lack of soft-skills training. The recommended solutions include more uniformity between government and employer sectors, increased acceptance and support for multicultural diversity, an openness towards diverse ways of thinking, and an enhancement of training in diverse communication styles.

scholarly journals Soft Skills Training For Students of Higher Education: Some Initial Observations

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mr. Joseph V. Philip ◽  
Mr. V. Kannappa Setty ◽  
Dr. R. Parthasarathy ◽  
Dr. Dorothy P. Rekha
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Skills Training ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Technical Expertise ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Second Year

Recently the authors were assigned to train higher education students (the second year master‘s and PhD scholars) with soft skills at the Department of Social Work at the Kuvempu University, Shimoga. The department wanted to enhance the students‘ preparedness into being competent professionals through social skills training as soft skills can enhance their technical expertise.

scholarly journals Formation of soft skills among students of higher educational institutions

Eduweb ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-122
Author(s):  
Elena A. Pluzhnirova ◽  
Marina V. Zhivoglyad ◽  
Julia A. Kulagina ◽  
Irina M. Morozova ◽  
Natalia V. Titova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Specialist Training ◽  
Student Surveys ◽  
Innovative Methods

The objective of the article was to analyze the experience of training and development of soft skills among students of higher education institutions. The methodology used in the study presents a comparative analysis of hard and soft skills, presents the results of student surveys on the advantages of hackathons in the training of soft skills. The conclusions determine that institutions of higher education for the formation of soft skills of students introduce innovative methods and means in the learning process. Hackathons and meetups act as real tools for soft skills training and competitive specialist training in general.

What are the risks of Virtual Reality data? Learning Analytics, Algorithmic Bias and a Fantasy of Perfect Data

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110127
Author(s):  
Marcus Carter ◽  
Ben Egliston
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Education Technology ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Emerging Technology ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Vr Training ◽  
Algorithmic Bias

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology with the potential to extract significantly more data about learners and the learning process. In this article, we present an analysis of how VR education technology companies frame, use and analyse this data. We found both an expansion and acceleration of what data are being collected about learners and how these data are being mobilised in potentially discriminatory and problematic ways. Beyond providing evidence for how VR represents an intensification of the datafication of education, we discuss three interrelated critical issues that are specific to VR: the fantasy that VR data is ‘perfect’, the datafication of soft-skills training, and the commercialisation and commodification of VR data. In the context of the issues identified, we caution the unregulated and uncritical application of learning analytics to the data that are collected from VR training.

Empowering Technical and Soft Skills in Students and Young Professionals of the Oil&Gas Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Enrique Ardila Díaz ◽  
William Genghini Galvís ◽  
Sandra Juliana Jaramillo Medina ◽  
Alejandro Sanchéz ◽  
Sergio Velásquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Enhanced Recovery ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Petroleum Engineering ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
Training Stage ◽  
Technological Tool

Abstract To contribute to the construction of young professionals with an integral profile in which the competitive spirit is promoted through the resolution of a technological challenge applied to the Oil & Gas industry, under a scenario that demands a high degree of commitment and with the accompaniment of professionals with great experience in the industry. In accordance with the data acquired and the program's target population, an appropriate methodology has been established for the development and strengthening of technical and soft skills. This methodology consists of four main phases: 1. Challenge construction 2. Best Teams selection 3. Challenge Resolution and 4. Results presentation. During the challenge resolution phase, participants have multiple technical and soft skills training sessions where experienced professionals share their knowledge and experiences related to the challenge theme in an environment of generational knowledge transfer. During the last 4 years, around 120 participants from different cities of the country have managed to potentiate their soft skills and strengthen their knowledge in areas of the Oil & Gas industry such as unconventional, enhanced recovery, heavy oil, huff & puff, combustion had tests, wettability, waterflooding, among others and materialize it with the construction of an innovative technological tool. The best of each version was rewarded with their first work experience in the Oil & Gas industry where they were able to put into practice what they had learned during the program. Likewise, the continuous acquisition of valuable information about variables at the end of the program such as the knowledge areas of greatest interest for students and young professionals, the level of knowledge related to oil engineering and programming, the handling of a second language, and the skills acquired during the university training stage, has allowed strengthening the methodology of the"SPE en Sinergia" program, adjusting it to the current needs of the industry and placing the participants outside their comfort zone. The development of the program and the results obtained are based on the identification of the strengths and weaknesses currently displayed by students in their final semesters and young professionals in careers related to petroleum engineering in Colombia and that in one way or another have become part of the reasons why their link to the professional world has become more difficult. This has enabled a way to identify opportunities for improvement and establish lines of action to promote the professional fast-track development of the new generations in a joint effort between industry and academia.

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