Soft Skills Reality Gap – Worse Than We Thought
Bryant & Stratton College with help from Wakefield Research reported that a reality gap exists among U.S. adults age 18 to 34 regarding soft skills and employment.
Based on the research, 18 to 34 year olds do not understand the importance of soft skills such as communication, attitude, proper attire and problem solving. My own company’s research surveys among trade companies revealed similar findings about contractor’s dissatisfaction with entry-level employee soft skills.
The Bryant & Stratton College and Wakefield Research findings indicate that only 16% of the 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed see such skills as necessary for career advancement. To the contrary, 93% of U.S, employers say soft skills are “weighed more heavily” when vetting job candidates — much more so than a candidate’s college academic credentials.
This latest research data indicates that college advisory boards are on the right track in demanding that soft skills curriculum become a necessary part of a student’s education.
Most contractors would prefer someone who will be at work on time, dosplay teamwork skills and be flexible with coworkers.
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Good day Steve,
Hope all is well with you. Well, this latest finding really comes as no surprise to me. It is unfortunate that this particular age group does not see the importance of soft skills and good customer service. It just seems to be a “normal ” attitude but I do not want to lump this whole age group as such. I hope that as instructors we can stress the importance of such skills to our up and coming young technicians. Thank you for sharing your insight and information. I always find it most interesting. Thanks again Steve, take care.
Why are we surprised by this? When state after state mandates Standards of Learning that must be passed by multiple choice tests, teachers teach to the test and administrators worry about failure rates because their salary increases are linked to them. The development of critical thinking skills falls by the wayside.
Well, I am surprised at these results. I find it hard to imagine that today’s young adults do not see a correlation between the two. But, maybe I am just naive. However, let’s be careful not to shrug our shoulders or look for someone to blame. Instead let’s continue preaching the gospel of Soft Skills and hope that we make a difference.