Soft skills Career and life survival skills What

Soft skills = Career and life survival skills

What are “soft” skills? How are they different from “hard” skills? • “Hard” skills are what you need to know and be able to do for a job. • “Soft” skills, also known as “people” skills, are personal characteristics that are used when relating to people and communicating with them (Robles, 2012).

Examples of “hard” skills • Changing the oil in a car • Adjusting the color in a photograph • Designing a home • Taking someone’s temperature • Writing code • Wiring a building Examples of “soft” skills: The four Cs • • Critical thinking (and problem-solving) Communication Collaboration Creativity (and innovation)

This is Carson. • Carson is one the best welders in her class. • Carson knows she also needs soft skills. • Be like Carson. Why Carson needs soft skills Critical thinking (and problem-solving) “Hmm. . “ says Carson. “That weld didn’t work right. I need to figure out what’s wrong. ” Communication “I noticed Jason was having a problem, too, ” thinks Carson. “I’d better let him know we might be having the same issue while I call the manufacturer to see if it’s an equipment problem. ” Collaboration “Hey, Jason, ” says Carson, “I’m wondering if we might be having the same problem. What’s been happening with you? ” Creativity (and innovation) Jason and Carson bounce ideas off one another, trying various workarounds until they agree on a different approach while waiting to hear back from the manufacturer.

Soft skills: Because the world is changing • Jobs that are routine (tasks only) are decreasing. • Jobs that require soft skills (the four Cs) are increasing. According to a survey of managers, “Proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic is not sufficient if employees are unable to think critically, solve problems, collaborate or communicate effectively. ” (Trilling et al. , 2009)

PIA Automation Earlier this year, SICTC’s Precision Machine classes, taught by Mr. Niehaus, toured PIA Automation’s Evansville operations. • PIA is a global company with eight branches in five countries. It serves mobility, commercial goods, consumer goods and healthcare industries. • PIA describes itself as among the top five providers of automation solutions in the world. PIA knows why soft skills are important.

PIA Automation and soft skills As the field trip was ending, Mr. Niehaus asked the engineer who led the tour, “What is the most important quality that PIA is looking for in an employee? ” The engineer didn’t say “technical skills. ” He didn’t say, “math or English ability. ” He also did not hesitate. The engineer said: “Flexibility and being able to adapt to change are the most important qualities we need in an employee. Sure, employees need to have great technical skills; but being able to switch direction and adapt when needs, deadlines and unforeseen problems happen is the most important thing we do as a company. We have to have employees who can do that too. ”

Flexibility: Who could have guessed? Within just a few short weeks, we’ve all been confronted with the need to be flexible. That’s certainly of your teachers as they transition your learning to virtual. In fact, they are using soft skills and the four Cs by: • Using critical thinking to develop ways for you to continue to learn. • Relying on their communication skills to keep you and your parents informed about how we are all trying to keep the momentum going. • Engaging in collaboration with one another through teleconferencing and other forms of communication to develop and build on new ways for you to learn. • Calling on their personal creativity and problem-solving skills to think outside the box and find new ways to continue to move your learning and your career path forward.

The four Cs, flexibility and you As we all discover new ways to be flexible, you’ll be starting a new series of virtual assignments designed to help you develop and practice your 4 C skills. Read on to see how this will work.

Soft skills assignment #1: How have you been using the four Cs? Yes, this is a real assignment. Your teacher will let you know which platform your class will be using to submit your work. • Some classes will be posting in a new private Facebook group. • Some classes will be use Google classroom. • Some classes will turn in their work based on their teachers’ customized instructions. Your first assignment is explained on the next slide.

Soft skills assignment #1: How have you been using the four Cs? Your teacher will let you know how to submit your answers to the questions below. For now, record your answers in a digital file or paper. Use complete sentences as well as correct grammar and spelling. For each of the following, give one example of how you’ve been using: 1. Critical thinking and problem-solving to do something differently since you have been isolating and practicing social distancing. An example: Conserving supplies that you can’t replace by using sponges or rags (instead of paper towels) to keep surfaces clean. 2. Communication skills to stay in contact with friends, family and teachers. Example: Face. Timing or using Zoom to plan virtual activities, such as watch parties or games. 3. Collaboration to deal with issues that you would have previously handled face-to-face. Example: Exchanging ideas with other students about difficult parts of an assignment that’s due in the near future. 4. Creativity to come up with out-of-the box, quirky or innovative solutions related to COVID-19 restrictions? Example: Making funny videos to entertain or to encourage people to practice social distancing or wash their hands.

In the works … Upcoming assignments will use the four Cs to discuss work- and occupation-related issues. So start thinking now about how flexibility, soft skill and the four Cs can help you: • Get a job/keep a job • Advance in your career • Make work more productive • Make work less stressful • Adapt to unexpected changes • Carve out your own path in a changing world

That’s all for now.