Implementation and Impact Evaluation of Entrepreneurship Support Services in Jamaica

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Ubfal ◽  
Irani Arráiz ◽  
Diether Beuermann ◽  
Michael Frese ◽  
Alessandro Maffioli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Skills ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Business Training ◽  
Business Outcomes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Personal Initiative ◽  
Hard Skills

AUTHORUbfal, Diego; Arráiz, Irani; Beuermann, Diether; Frese, Michael; Maffioli, Alessandro; Verch, DanielDATEMar 2021DOWNLOAD:English (0 downloads)DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003182There has been growing interest in approaches to business training that incorporate insights from psychology to develop soft skills associated with successful entrepreneurship. The empirical evidence on their success, however, is still inconclusive. This study designs and evaluates two training programs focusing on soft skills, which are adapted to the Jamaican context. The first program provides soft-skills training on personal initiative, including the development of a proactive mindset and perseverance after setbacks. The second program combines soft-skills training on personal initiative with traditional training on hard skills aimed at changing business practices. Both programs are evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design involving 945 entrepreneurs in Jamaica. Findings indicate positive effects of the intensive soft-skills training, but not of the training combining soft and hard skills, on business outcomes (i.e., sales and profits) in the short-term (i.e., three months after the implementation of the trainings). The positive short-term effects of the soft-skills training are concentrated among men and are not significant for women. These effects, however, vanish when measured 12 months after the trainings. Nonetheless, the soft-skills training show persistent positive effects on some targeted soft skills, which are measured with both self-reported and incentivized measures.

A Future Focus of Gaming

2016 ◽  
pp. 566-585
Author(s):  
DeAnna Proctor ◽  
Lenora Jean Justice
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Military Medicine ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Inherent Nature ◽  
Games And Simulations ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
The Military

The authors discuss the instruction of soft skills by games and simulations as a future direction for the use of educational gaming in P-12 education. Technical or hard skills are taught in the educational curriculum; however, soft skills training, such as communication, collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving, negotiation, and leadership, are lacking. Soft skills training through games and simulations have been successful in areas such as the military, medicine, business, and disaster response, as well as those individuals with learning disabilities; therefore, the authors investigate the potential for soft skills training using games and simulations. In addition to instruction of soft skills, this article also addresses the inherent nature of games and simulations as teaching and assessment tools.

scholarly journals Body, Learning Facilitator

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Manuela Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Curriculum ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
The Body ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Global Vision ◽  
Unity Of Knowledge ◽  
The University

The school is a safe zone where the curriculum is determined, in a shared manner; where the actors (pupils and teachers), each in their own roles, aim at a project of professional and human, personal and collective growth. A system involving theory, practice and technique combined with relationships and emotions: head and heart together. An encounter between verbal and non-verbal languages, between scientific and humanistic areas where thought becomes actions and actions become thinking, in a thoughtful action. The aim of this intervention is to promote the culture of interdisciplinarity, to offer a focus on the importance of the Integrated Curriculum, also in the university sphere as it is increasingly urgent to create a network of synergies to foster a unity of knowledge that offers a holistic-global vision also by proposing joint scientific work for a biodiversity of languages that means protecting a plurality of information useful for knowledge and thus for the protection of all. Education is developed on transversal competences, soft skills training, inclinations identified in each one (pupil, teacher), which impact on disciplinary knowledge; as well as defining hard skills; to reflect on a methodological framework where the body becomes the protagonist, the glue, the bridge of meanings, transforming them and transporting them into other languages.

scholarly journals Building Students’ Personality for Employment Readiness through Soft-skills Training

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-45
Author(s):  
Saranya C Saranya C ◽  
Rajakumar Guduru
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Personality Types ◽  
Carl Jung ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
Individual Personality ◽  
Employment Readiness ◽  
Support Students

A winning personality is the physical attribute of a person and is considered as his or her success in personal, academic, and professional careers. However, in the ESL context, most engineering students seem to be unaware of the need for and importance of an appealing personality for achieving success in both personal and professional careers. Although students are given a short-term training in soft-skills by their respective college or institute, engineering students seem to lack aspects of a pleasing personality which helps them in job placements and later in the work environment. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to understand and build engineering students’ personality traits such as enthusiasm, dependability, and teamwork for a successful career. For this purpose, to understand the students’ personality types, 25 engineering students were administered a pre-test based on Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers’ typological approach to personality. Students were helped in building personality through the soft-skills training. The data was analyzed and interpreted both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicated that having a pleasing personality and exhibiting soft-skills enables in building students’ individual personality for employment readiness. Implications were offered to students, placement trainers, and teachers. It is concluded that having a charming personality will support students in landing their desired jobs.

scholarly journals School-Related Outcomes From a Randomized Controlled Trial of Adolescent Depression Prevention Programs

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa E. McCarthy ◽  
Jami F. Young ◽  
Jessica S. Benas ◽  
Robert J. Gallop
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Adolescent Depression ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Meaningful Improvement ◽  
Depression Prevention ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Intervention Condition

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of school-based depression prevention programs in reducing depressive symptoms and improving functioning. This study examined whether these programs have positive effects on school-related outcomes. Students at 10 middle and high schools in New Jersey were randomized to weekly sessions of Interpersonal Psychotherapy–Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST) or group counseling (GC). Analyses examined whether there were intervention effects on participants’ grades, attendance rates, and disciplinary outcomes over approximately 1 year postintervention. Although there were no significant main effects of intervention condition, moderation analyses indicated more favorable effects of IPT-AST among certain higher-risk subgroups (e.g., those from low-income families). Participants who experienced meaningful improvement in their depressive symptoms had significantly more positive outcomes on overall grades than those who did not experience meaningful improvement, regardless of intervention condition. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of depression prevention programs on these school-related outcomes.

Soft skills: toward a sanctimonious discipline

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-224
Author(s):  
M.S. Rao
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Global Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Leadership Success

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to achieve sanctimonious status to the soft skills discipline. It explores soft skills in global organizations and educational institutions. Design/methodology/approach This paper explains the significance of soft skills and the methods to acquire these. It differentiates between soft and hard skills with examples and illustrations. It draws a blueprint to offer soft skills program. It unveils expository strategy, guided strategy and active strategy for teaching and training soft skills. Findings The finding of this study reminds that the world is shifting from knowledge economy to self-knowledge economy and of the importance of soft skills with the advent of artificial intelligence. It enlightens that a judicious blend of hard and soft skills is essential for achieving professional and leadership success. It implores not only to build hard skills but also mind soft skills. It concludes that soft skills are essential for everyone from janitors to chief executives to achieve the desired outcomes. Research limitations/implications This paper explains from the academic and organizational perspectives only. Practical implications This methodology can be applied in any industry and in any size of organization globally. Social implications The social implications of this research suggest that educational institutions and global organizations can adopt these methods and strategies to impart and improve soft skills. Originality/value This research explores tools and techniques to measure soft skills. It encourages experiential learning to impart soft skills. It coins an innovative evaluation tool – Meka’s five-level model – to measure soft skills training. It outlines a few sample questions to measure soft skills training. It crafts course curriculum for soft skills. It unveils a list of soft skills essential for leaders.

scholarly journals English Language Teachers’ Perceptions of PAAET’s Professional Development Programs: Implications on Guideline Formulation for Training Programs

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Maisoun A. Alzankawi ◽  
Yousef M. Alenezi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Professional Development Programs

Teachers’ professional development is a life-long and continuous process in which teachers are expected to upgrade their knowledge, master new skills, and change their practices, since advancement in their teaching career has an impact on their students’ achievement and education reform. This study determines the teachers’ assessment of professional development programs at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) in Kuwait. The study utilized a quantitative research method using a survey questionnaire, which was distributed online to 31 in-service teachers. Results indicated the infrequency of teachers’ development program in the institution. Teachers who had stayed at least nine years had undergone 1 to 3 training programs. Training on soft skills is perceived to be relatively more effective than training on hard skills. Nevertheless, majority of the teachers attended relatively more hard-skills training than soft-skills training programs. Thus, hard-skills training should further be planned to improve effectiveness since more training is provided in these areas.

scholarly journals Organizational skills training for children with ADHD: study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Bikic ◽  
Søren Dalsgaard ◽  
Kristoffer Dalsgaard Olsen ◽  
Denis G. Sukhodolsky
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Response ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Organizational Skills ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Background Problems with sustained attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are the most prominent symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but many children with this diagnosis also present with poor organizational skills that are important in relation to school. These problems tend to increase from childhood to adolescence and are often not well managed by medication. Organizational skills training (OST) is a range of behavioral interventions that specifically target organizational skills deficits. Evidence supports the effect of OST on improving organizational skills, inattention, and academic performance in children with ADHD. Because previous clinical trials included mostly children above the age of 8 years, this trial includes children in the age range 6–13 years to expand the knowledge on the effects of OST in younger children. Previous OST research has also shown improvement on inattention in parent ratings; we will investigate if a change in inattention can be confirmed with neurocognitive tests. Finally, little is known about predictors of treatment response in OST. Objectives The primary objective is to investigate if OST has positive effects on organizational skills in children with ADHD. The primary outcome measurement is the parent-rated Children’s Organizational Skills Scale (COSS), collected before and at the end of the 10 week intervention. Secondary and exploratory outcomes include inattention ratings, family and school functioning, and cognitive functions measured before the intervention period, immediately after, and at a 6 month follow-up. Additional objectives are to investigate both neurocognitive outcomes and age as predictors of treatment response. Methods This is a randomized clinical superiority trial investigating the effect of OST vs a treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group for children with ADHD in the age range of 6–13 years. All participants (n = 142) receive TAU. OST is administered in a group format of 10 weekly sessions. Adverse events are monitored by study clinicians during weekly therapy sessions and all assessments. Data analyses will be conducted using mixed linear regression models with random intercepts for patients, adjusted for the stratification variables and the baseline value. Perspectives This study will provide important new knowledge and expand on existing research in the field of non-pharmacological treatment of children with ADHD. OST can potentially have a significant impact on the lives of children with ADHD by helping them learn how to cope with their present deficits and to become more independent and self-reliant. It is also important to investigate predictors of treatment response in order to optimize OST. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03160378. Registered on May 19, 2017.

scholarly journals PENGEMBANGAN SOFT SKILLS DAN RELEVANSINYA TERHADAP PEMBENTUKAN AKHLAK MAHASISWA: PERSPEKTIF HADIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-97
Author(s):  
Munawarah Munawarah ◽  
Raudah Abshari
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Humanitarian Values ◽  
Data Collection Technique ◽  
Descriptive Method

A person’s success is not determined solely by the knowledge and technical abilities (hard skills). But rather by the ability to manage themselves and others (soft skills) relating to factors of emotional intelligence (EQ). Because soft skills is critical given in the educational process. Inability to provide soft skills training will only result in graduates who are just good at memorizing lessons and get a little bit of skill when already in employment. Currently we are in the middle of the vortex hegomonia media, science and technology revolution. Not only is able to bring the ease and comfort of living for humans, but also invite problems and concerns. Progress in science and technology can reduce the humanitarian values or dehumanization. In the reality on the ground, moral development efforts through a variety of educational institutions and various methods continue to be developed. It shows that morality does need to be nurtured. Based on the hadith “Behold, I am sent by God to enhance budipekerti nobility” (HR. Ahmad). This type of research is qualitative research methods literature, namely data collection is done through the places of storage of research results. The data collection technique using the method of documentation, namely reference books that can be justified. Examination of the validity of data tend to use triangulation techniques theory. In this research using descriptive method with content analysis techniques, which draw a conclusion through the efforts of finding the characteristics of the message and be conducted objectively and systematically.

scholarly journals Impact of a Brief Family Skills Training Programme (“Strong Families”) on Parenting Skills, Child Psychosocial Functioning, and Resilience in Iran: A Multisite Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11137
Author(s):  
Karin Haar ◽  
Aala El-Khani ◽  
Gelareh Mostashari ◽  
Mahdokht Hafezi ◽  
Atoosa Malek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Waitlist Control ◽  
Waitlist Control Group

Caregivers have a key role in protecting children’s wellbeing, and, with appropriate skills, can prevent a multitude of negative social outcomes, particularly in challenged or humanitarian settings. Accordingly, the Strong Families programme was designed as a light touch family skills programme, with a focus of supporting caregiving during stressful situations. To evaluate the short-term impact of the Strong Families programme, we performed a time-convenience, randomized, controlled trial in Iran. A total of 292 families (63% from Iranian decent, 39% from Afghan decent, and 1% other), with children aged eight to twelve years, were recruited through ten centers in Iran and allocated to an intervention (n = 199) or waitlist/control group (n = 93). The two groups did not differ demographically at baseline. We assessed families prospectively, through three scales, PAFAS (parenting and family adjustment scales), SDQ (strengths and difficulties questionnaire), and CYRM-R (child and youth resilience measure). Caregivers in the intervention group improved (highly) statistically significantly on all but one PAFAS subscales (parental consistency, coercive parenting, positive encouragement, parental adjustment, family relationships, and parental teamwork), which was not noted in the waitlist group. On the SDQ, there were (highly) significant positive changes in scores in the intervention group on all sub-scales and the “total difficulty scale“, whereas the waitlist/control group also improved on three (prosocial, conduct problems, and hyperactivity) of the five SDQ subscales. Children originating from Afghanistan improved significantly on the overall resilience scale of the CYRM-R in the intervention group, but not in the waitlist/control group. Overall, all our stratified results of the different scales reflect an accentuated improvement in families with higher levels of problems at baseline. Our comparative results indicated a strong alignment of the strong families programme with its intended short-term impact, per its logical frame on parenting practices and family management skills, children behaviour, caregivers and children mental health, and capacity to cope with stress. We postulate that the potential nudging or diffusion of knowledge (cross-contamination between intervention and waitlist/control group) at the community level could explain improvements in the waitlist/control group on some indicators, however, further research on this is recommend.

scholarly journals Robotics for soft skills training

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Rubinacci ◽  
Michela Ponticorvo ◽  
Rosa Passariello ◽  
Orazio Miglino
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Educational Robotics ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Informal Context

Abstract Robotics is a powerful tool in education and it has gained a notable impact in the field of teaching computer science, engineering, math, physics and similar. As educational robotics laboratories stimulate many different abilities in students, such as problem solving and group working, it is possible to use robotics to promote soft skills as well. Soft skills are necessary to complement hard skills to build the 21st century professionalism, so it seems relevant to start promoting these skills as soon as possible. In this paper, we describe a lab for primary and first grade secondary schools in which robotics is employed to train soft skills in an informal context.

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