ERIC Number: ED602408
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Soft Skills in Workforce Programs: Findings from WorkAdvance Providers
Schaberg, Kelsey
American Enterprise Institute
Skills have long been associated with productivity and economic well-being. A large body of evidence shows the value of academic and technical skills in the workplace. And in recent years, soft skills--skills that make for an effective employee, such as time management and communication--have also become increasingly valued in the workplace. Employers often include these skills in job postings, and many employers report that they value soft skills as much or even more than hard skills in job applicants. WorkAdvance is a sector-focused workforce development model that calls for providing education and employment-related skills to help participants enter and advance in the labor market. The model was implemented by four providers, and the programs were evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design. The programs offered participants training in technical skills, as part of occupational skills training, and soft skills, as part of career readiness services. The evaluation's findings showed positive economic effects in some sites through a three-year follow-up period. This report first gives an overview of what soft skills are and why they are important in today's workforce. Then it discusses how the WorkAdvance providers implemented soft skills training and highlights a few best practices for soft skills instruction that WorkAdvance providers identified.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Job Skills, Employment Programs, Job Training, Low Income Groups, Labor Force Development, Adult Education, Career Readiness, Interpersonal Competence, Self Control, Communication Skills, Self Concept, Thinking Skills, Employer Attitudes, Best Practices, Program Evaluation
American Enterprise Institute. 1150 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-862-5800; Fax: 202-862-7177; Web site: http://www.aei.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A