Soft Skills Training Research Articles

Youth Employability programmes in South Africa: Which features work best and for whom?

ABSTRACT This article analyses a subset of eight youth employability programmes (YEPs) operating across South Africa using a panel survey of participants. It assesses the features of these YEPs and their links to subsequent employment while controlling for individual characteristics. Each YEP delivered technical and soft skills training, alongside other programme features offered in different combinations. Additionally, a financial capability intervention comprising financial literacy and access to a savings product was randomised to half of the training sites. Job matching, soft skills training, and financial capability are all strongly associated with better employment odds. The strength of these associations depends on how different training components are combined, and on graduates’ education level and area of residence. The findings have implications for the design of active labour market policies in developing countries with large youth unemployment and fast-changing labour markets.

Softskill Training , Outbound Training And Knowledge Sharing On The Performance Of Perumdam Tirta Hita Buleleng Employees

This test has results to see whether soft skill training , outbound training, along with knowledge sharing have an impact on the performance of Tirta Hita Buleleng employees. This test was carried out at the Tirta Hita Buleleng Regional Drinking Water Company. The population used in this test is all employees who work at Perumdam Tirta Hita Buleleng, namely 75 employees. The rating scale uses a Likert scale which then the data obtained is processed using multiple linear regression analysis techniques. in this test the findings obtained were 1) the more consistent the soft skill training was , the more employee performance at Perumdam Tirta Hita Buleleng 2) the more consistent outbound training was carried out regularly, resulting in increased employee performance at Perumdam Tirta Hita Buleleng. 3) The more knowledge sharing is carried out , so that the performance of employees at Perumdam Tirta Hita Buleleng increases.

Soft Skill and Hard Skill Training for Students at Eakkapapsasanawich Islamic School Krabi Thailand

Service activities carried out by STKIP Muhammadiyah Kuningan students on a training basis provide space for students to develop the soft skills and hard skills they have. This community service program was carried out at Eakkapapsasanawich Islamic School Krabi Thailand with the aim of developing students' talent interests in the field of public speaking and Islamic arts. This service method is carried out in a group discussion forum (FGD) between teachers, boarding school administrators, students, and KKN students. In addition to using training methods and providing assistance as a follow-up to the training. The result of this service activity is that students are able to develop their interests and talents in the field of public speaking and Islamic arts, with the material and training provided.

ANALYSIS OF THE EMPLOYABILITY OF ACCOUNTING SCIENCE GRADUATES FROM THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITY OF THIS BRANCH CIUDAD DEL ESTE

The “Analysis of the employability of graduates of Accounting Sciences from the Universidad Privada del Este Branch Ciudad del Este” is an exhaustive study that examines the employment situation of graduates of the Accounting Sciences degree from the Universidad Privada del Este Branch Ciudad del Este . The main objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training provided by the university and improve the quality of education provided. The study was carried out through a survey of graduates of the university’s Accounting Sciences program, as well as employers and experts in the field of accounting. The results of the study revealed that the majority of graduates of the Accounting Sciences degree from the Universidad Privada del Este Branch Ciudad del Este are employed in the field of accounting and finance, and that the majority of them are satisfied with their work. However, some areas for improvement in the training provided by the university were also identified, such as the need to improve soft skills training and the need to offer more internship opportunities. Furthermore, it is recommended that the university improve its career guidance programs to help students make more informed decisions about their career choice and be better prepared to face the demands of the future labor market. In summary, the “Analysis of the employability of Accounting Sciences graduates from the Universidad Privada del Este Branch Ciudad del Este” is an important study that offers valuable recommendations to improve the quality of education provided by the university and the employability of its graduates.

Soft Skills Demand and Supply Through the Lens of Higher Education Students

Soft skills are becoming equally crucial as hard skills in today's labour market. In contrast to hard skills which are teachable typically through formal education, soft skills are non-technical and interpersonal, allowing individuals to be able to find and succeed in their studies, jobs, and professional life. Despite the increasing emphasis on soft skills, many university students are either unaware of or neglect enhancing them. Soft skills deficiency among university students has become a significant concern for employers, educators, and policymakers, as it negatively affects students' academic performance and future employment prospects. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ perceptions of the demand for soft skills and the possibility and availability of learning opportunities. The expected outcomes intend to provide insights about awareness of soft skills among students and pathways to reduce the soft skills gap through training provisions in higher education settings. Furthermore, it aims to find out how the young generation (mainly Generation Z) would perceive digitalisation and specifically gamification as a solution to facilitate soft skills training. This is a mixed method study, in which, an open survey was the data collection media. The survey was conducted during the spring semester of 2023 and analysed using visualisation and summarisation methods. Based on the outcome of 66 master’s and bachelor's students attending the digitalisation courses in two classes in Sweden, over 50% of the students perceived a lack of soft skills in their curricula. They were also positive toward the use of gamification as an effective digital strategy, recognising it as a powerful tool to facilitate training and developing soft skills as a part of formal learning in higher education. As a suggested approach, gamifying soft skills training potentially creates simulations that mimic real-world situations to allow students to practice and develop their soft skills in a safe and low-stakes training environment. This facilitates training soft skills for better communication and collaboration during their academic journey and after their graduation and to prepare students for successful careers.

Increasing Young Entrepreneurs Through the WMP DISPORA Program

The aim of this service activity is to encourage economic growth in the Garut Regency community through young entrepreneurs in the fields of finance, education and training. The method used is the mentoring method. The Youth and Sports Service (Dispora) carries out entrepreneurial assistance activities by opening the Young Youth Entrepreneurship (WMP) program. Beginner Young Entrepreneurs (WMP) is a form of appreciation from the government to young people who are active in the business world, and have shown results and have the potential to develop. This WMP program provides opportunities for young entrepreneurs who have been running a business for at least three months who pass the business plan criteria and selection to receive assistance in the form of capital, education and soft skills training. Capital assistance can be in the form of money or goods, while to increase entrepreneurial knowledge capacity, one way is by holding soft skills training and WMP comparative studies. The result of this service activity is strengthening education and capital skills for young business actors in Garut Regency which encourages community economic growth through the WMP program. This WMP program contributes to the creation of new jobs, increases economic growth and is one component in supporting a healthy business environment and encouraging the vision of the Garut Regency government 2019-2024.

Can Improving Soft Skills Increasing Women’s Employment in STEM?

Employment in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) sector is associated with men’s occupation. STEM is perceived to be more suitable for men mirroring the long-held gender stereotyping of occupations. With the growth in automation and digitalization, women have more opportunities to find jobs in the STEM sector. However, to avail of these opportunities, women need support to adapt to the changes in the job market by developing soft skills that can complement their technical competencies. The present research aims to investigate how soft skills training can help female STEM graduates in the transition from school to work. The study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive phenomenological method. Data was collected through interviews and a literature review. The findings of this research demonstrate that soft skills training improved self-confidence and helped female graduates to prepare better for jobs in the STEM sector. The study argues additional program and support such as structured soft skills training needed to better prepare female students compete in STEM’s employment. By doing so, the number of women who wish to study and pursue a career in the STEM sector can be increased. Soft skills training can improve work readiness and create a more level playing field for women in the STEM sector.

Can rank-based non-monetary rewards improve student attendance? Experimental evidence from India

Student absenteeism is an important concern for many academic institutions around the world. We test whether a rank-based attendance game, incentivized by non-monetary rewards, improves attendance at a soft skills training school in India. We randomly assigned 3784 students, studying in 216 classrooms to control and treatment groups. On average, we find a positive but statistically insignificant effect of the treatment on attendance rates. However, we find the intervention increases attendance for students in the middle and lower end of the attendance distribution by 3.8–6.5 percentage points, depending on their ranking in the distribution and the number of students they compete with. Our heterogeneity analysis suggests that such an intervention may be more effective for students of school-going age, particularly boys and low-ability students.

Beyond scientific and technical training: Assessing the relevance of empathy and assertiveness in future physiotherapists: A cross-sectional study.

Empathy and assertiveness are two essential social skills for a health professional such as a physiotherapist and are necessary for developing moral thinking. Previous studies show that the development of empathy and other social skills improves as students progress in their studies. However, other authors show deterioration of empathy as students progress in their studies and acquire clinical experience. Training in soft skills, such as assertiveness, among health science students will have an impact on the quality of patient care. Effective communication, conflict resolution and the ability to work as part of a team are competencies that have been put to one side as a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and it is important to resume training students in soft skills. The objective of this study is to investigate to determine the empathic and assertive state of physiotherapy university students. A descriptive cross-sectional study of physiotherapy university students was conducted in the 2022/2023 academic year. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) scales for empathy and the Rathus test for assertiveness (RAS) were used as study tools. Finally, 127 students participated in the study, 52.91% of the total population of physiotherapy students. The questionnaire was available for 4 weeks in November and December 2022. The empathetic and assertive development of the students was found to be acceptable. Significant differences were also observed according to the gender variable in the students, with female students presenting better results (p = 0.01). Students who are working or have clinical experience in other professions score lower on the empathy personal distress subscale (p < 0.001). Future research should be considered to help improve clinical and professional expertise in physiotherapy students about empathic and assertive development. The findings provide new evidence on the levels of empathy and assertiveness in physiotherapy students.

FOREIGN STUDENTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION – A CHANCE FOR THE LABOUR MARKET OF THE POZNAŃ AGGLOMERATION

The labour market of the Poznań agglomeration is characterised by the lowest unemployment rate in Poland, as well as large and varied employer demands, which can be met only to a limited extent by the local workforce. The potential human resources, which for the Poznań agglomeration's employers may be foreign students attending technical and first-degree technical and industry schools, have been characterised on the basis of the conducted desk research and analysis of the empirical data derived from the own research of the Observatory of Economy and Labour Market of the Poznań Agglomeration. The article's aim was to answer two questions: 1) ‘to what extent is vocational education able to prepare foreign students to enter the Polish labour market?' and 2) ‘to what extent do the resources of foreign students meet the needs of local employers?'. The analysis shows that migrant students as participants of Polish vocational education have a chance to effectively adapt to the labour market and to use their competency resources in long-term perspective. It requires a variety of actions to be taken with experts' participation, including in the field of cultural and language education, career counselling, recognition of preferences and predispositions, training of hard and soft skills.

Relationship Between Trainee Reactions and Training Transfer: Findings From a Qualitative Study in Nepal

This article explores the relationship between trainees’ reactions and the transfer of training in Nepal. Using a qualitative research design, six participants of a soft-skills training program were interviewed immediately after completing the training and after six months of the training program. The findings show that initial reactions may not be directly related to transfer: positive reactions will not always translate into transfers in the workplace. Conversely, an adverse reaction does not mean the trainee will not transfer, a unique finding from this study. It is argued that since the initial reactions may not predict transfer, organizations need to be careful in interpreting reaction statements as the trainees' willingness/ability to transfer. The study found that various forms of post-training organizational support, trainee proactiveness, and trainee’s locus of control can influence the transfer of training. The study reinforces how post-training supervisory and peer-support support can create an environment that entices trainees to transfer and that post-training trainer support, a factor usually not discussed in the literature, can also impact transfer.

THE EFFECT OF TRAINING TOWARDS EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: AN EVIDENCE FROM A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA

Employees are the true determinant of the success or competency of an organization. An adequately trained workforce is important to ensure the workplace has the right and valuable employees. Employees in the education sector need the training to improve their performance as they face limitations or challenges to be creative in completing a task. Despite the increasing effects on the training of organizational employees by organizations, there is still limited literature on human resource development issues in developing countries. The study is focused on the effect of training towards employee performance in a public university in Malaysia. Consequently, all the necessary data were collected from primary sources using questionnaires from 244 respondents. This study employed a quantitative approach and found that induction, technical, and soft skill training positively influence employee performance in the case company. In addition, the study recommended future research in training and development strategies, assisting the employees in understanding the relevance of training towards employee performance, monitoring the performance to ensure employees are on track to achieve the best performance, growing and maintaining the employee’s performance to ensure the organization and personal goal can be achieved.

When healers get wounded! Moral injury in healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.

Moral injury (MI) is a multi-faceted and multidimensional phenomenon. Occupational MI has been studied mainly among military personnel and first responders and is linked to mental health problems. MI encompasses negative moral emotions such as shame, guilt, and anger leading to distress, and impairment in social and occupational functioning. The COVID-19 pandemic predisposed healthcare providers to moral dilemmas, potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs), and MI. We aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of MI in healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted in July-October 2021 among physician/clinician staff working at teaching hospitals in Lahore. The Moral Injury Symptoms Scale-Health Professionals (MISS-HP) was used to collect data. SPSS 26 was used for data analysis applying Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests on non-normally distributed data at α = 0.05. Predictors of MI were ascertained through Binary Logistic Regression analysis. Four hundred and twenty physicians responded to the questionnaires. The Median (IQR) MI scores were 37(28-47). Guilt, moral concerns, and shame were higher-scoring MI dimensions. 40.8% (n = 171) suffered from clinically significant distress and impaired functioning while 14.3% (n = 60) from severe distress. Gender, department, and history of psychiatric illness predicted higher levels of distress which were 1.9 times higher in females than males and 2.5 times higher with a history of psychiatric illness. Working on the front lines did not predict MI. Our findings highlight the substantial burden of MI in our sample during COVID-19, having implications for healthcare providers' well-being, healthcare quality, and service delivery. This calls for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to better prepare for future disasters through effective human-resource policies, pre-trauma exposure soft-skills training, effective teamwork and communication strategies; self-stewardship and resilience modules, and mental health support for healthcare providers. The dimensional construct of MI may vary across cultures; hence we recommend further cross-cultural research on MI in healthcare providers, particularly in the context of public health disasters.

Effect of Soft Skills Training on Teaching Competency of Prospective Teachers

Aims: The present Study examine the effect of Soft Skills training on Teaching Competency of Prospective Teachers by administering pre and post test.&#x0D; Study Design: Within the framework of quasi-experimental research, the present study has utilized the experimental method and the one-group pre-test post-test design for the experiment.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: 90 prospective teachers who were enrolled in a two-year teacher training program (B.Ed.) at three of the training colleges of Bndelkhand University in Jhansi, India, during the academic year 2022–2023 made up the sample size. &#x0D; Methodology: Before the Soft Skills training is administered, the participants' Teaching Competency is measured using appropriate assessment tools. The Soft Skills training is provided to the selected group of prospective teachers. After the Soft Skills training has been completed, the participants' Teaching Competency is measured again using the same assessment tools. The changes in the participants' competencies from the pre-test to the post-test are analyzed statistically by paired sample t-test.&#x0D; Results: The intervention or training in soft skills appears to have had a very significant impact on teaching competency, according to the results. The results highlight the value of including soft skills in teacher preparation programs to provide educators the interpersonal and emotional intelligence needed for effective teaching.

Empowering Digitalization: Nurturing Content Creators for Enhanced Soft Skills

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The burgeoning wave of digitalization has pervaded diverse sectors, catalyzing transformative impacts on economics, society, and education. This study investigates the pivotal role of content creators in propelling digital marketing endeavors, fueled by the amplification of internet accessibility and technological infrastructure. Leveraging the potential of this trend, a community service initiative was undertaken to impart soft skill training to students at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Taman Sidoarjo. Employing a methodological approach encompassing content creator awareness, module development, laboratory training, and post-training assessment, this research seeks to equip students with essential competencies. Results showcase the potency of content creators as linchpins in the digital landscape, elucidating their significance in disseminating educational and engaging content. The implications of this endeavor reverberate globally, underscoring the critical synergy between digitalization and content creation for sustainable advancements across sectors.&#x0D; Highlight:&#x0D; &#x0D; Multisectoral Impact: Digitalization's pervasive influence across economics, society, and education drives transformative change.&#x0D; Content Creator Significance: Investigates content creators' pivotal role in fueling digital marketing via amplified internet access and tech infrastructure.&#x0D; Soft Skill Empowerment: Community initiative imparts crucial competencies to students, employing a structured methodology for effective learning.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keyword: Digitalization, Content Creators, Soft Skill Training, Internet Accessibility, Technological Infrastructure&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Beyond adventure GAP year programme: is it successful in training soft skills?

ABSTRACT Adventure Gap year programmes are becoming popular globally but there is still little research on their contribution to the development of soft skills of the participants. Using the Beyond Adventure Structured Adventure Gap Year Programme in South Africa, this study used a qualitative research approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with its 15 participants pre-post (before) and post-test (after) their training to establish whether there was an improvement in soft skills. The results show that participants’ facilitation, instructional and organisational skills improved after the Beyond Gap Year training. This study adds to the little research currently found on the potential of Gap year programmes to contribute to soft skills development. The recommendations given may also be useful to the programme designers of the Gap year programmes to improve the content of the programmes for them to fully benefit the participants in developing their soft skills.

Responding to Feedback: Employment-Related Soft Skills Training for Persons With Disabilities

Responding to Feedback: Employment-Related Soft Skills Training for Persons With Disabilities

Soft skills or digital skills: Is This the Question? Genesis of a workshop

Demand for skills building is increasing more than ever and it has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digitalisation and globalisation are the driving factors, thus requiring not only digital skills but also soft skills. New and ever-changing contexts require new and flexible training approaches. Performative teaching and learning has proven to be instrumental in helping to develop emotional and social skills, but it is best suited for face-to-face pedagogical contexts, or is it? This article will describe the elements of a workshop that aimed to train soft skills. It was inspired by an online training module in which the teachers applied a performative approach to train digital skills. The module was an integral part of an innovative, interdisciplinary, and interactive workshop, Active Learning Lab (ALL-EM), organised at Ca’ Foscari University. An abridged and adapted version of this workshop was presented at the 8th Scenario Forum Sore back, square eyes? Going performative in digital teaching and learning spaces (18/19 June 2021, online).

Returns to On-the-Job Soft Skills Training

Returns to On-the-Job Soft Skills Training

Focus on Education. Entrepreneurship, soft skills and the ancient world

The need for education aimed increasingly not only at technical skills, when at adopting a holistic approach with the goal of developing entrepreneurial competence. The focus on soft skills training as an attribute of an entrepreneurial worldview results in the search for training methodologies aimed at critical thinking. The use of an Example from the ancient world, the behavior of Marcus Aurelius who of duty and profession knew how to make the good of his empire.