In an advanced and computerized era developing soft skills is gaining much attraction in education circles. Unlike technical skills which are learnt only for a job and often learnt through formal training, soft skills are applicable in almost all aspects of life.There are a wide range of soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving,leadership,communication, and treatment with others.Technology plays an important roles in promoting these skills. The values of soft skills are increasing because they are essential for effective and creative team work and administration. I am trying my best to explore in this article why educationist emphasis on soft skills and how they can be implemented in schools for the new generation.
The growing demand for soft skills:
The demand for soft skills is growing up employers looking for such manpower who can do technical tasks. They try their best in searching for such a man who can overcome complex situations, solve problems and has the ability to lead a team.In this situation education institutes should have to change their strategy.
Education consultants are playing vital roles in this shift. They are advising schools and universities to change their cruculum and teaching methdology. They should have to advise them how to include soft skills training in their programmes effectivily. They can help to create such kinds of learning courses and subjects which fulfill the demand of society.
How Schools Are Integrating Soft Skills
1.Project-based learning:
Project based learning is an approach in which a student involves working in complex projects in a specific time frame. PBL helps students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.It also boosts their communication and team leading skills.
Role -playing and simulations:
For Teaching soft skills role playing activities are good tools. In these activities students play different roles in different situations and scenarios.These activities help them develop sympathy, leadership,and control conflict situations.
3.Social -emotional learning (SEL):
To develop emotional intelligence among students this activity is used. Emotional intelligence is a key component of many soft skills. This activity teaches students how to control their emotions, set goals, and maintain positive relationships.
4. Collaborative learning:
Through this activity students learn how to work in a group or team and achieve their common goals. This activity enhances teamwork, communication and leadership skills in the learners.Peer review and group projects are the example of collaborative learning.
The Role of Education Consultants:
Education consultants can help schools and universities in adopting and implementing strategies for soft skills development. They can provide best guidelines and guidance to education authorities on how these skills can be included in the curriculum.
One key role of education consultants is to help schools assess the effectiveness of their soft skills programs. They can use various assessment tools to measure students' progress.
The Benefits of Developing Soft Skills
1. Improved Academic Performance:
Students who learn soft skills can perform better than others.Soft skills like time management, positive communication, and help others can help them in succed in education and practical life.
2. Better Prepared for the Workforce:
Employers across all industries highly value soft skills. They know that the soft-skilled people can perform better than the others, which is why they have more chances to get a job.
3. Adaptability and Resilience:Soft-skilled people can easily adapt to new situations in the changes and crucial situations. Problem solving and critical thinking are the soft skills which teach the students how they can survive in tough situations. Challenges in Implementing Soft Skills Programs:
In Spite of the huge benefits of soft skills there are many challenges to implementing these programmes in schools. Main challenge is the lack of assessment tools for assessing soft skills.
Another challenge is how to train the teachers for soft skills.Many teachers may not have received training in soft skills development, making it difficult to include them in their teachings. In these scenarios education consultants can play a vital role.
