The importance of SoftImprove
When developing the SoftImprove Academy, it was important to research what employers are looking for in potential employees as well as what skills professionals are looking to develop. It is evident that soft skills are essential in today’s job market, but it was important for SoftImprove to understand which soft skills stand out and those that are key for professional and personal development. The SoftImprove PR1 Summary Report was initially a culmination of research from six countries: Belgium, Spain, Germany, Iceland, France, and Estonia; it now focuses on four countries: Belgium, Spain, Germany, and France.
The full report is available HERE.
The report consults a number of materials, organizations, academic journals, and studies to determine the overall importance of soft skills in the job market. With this, one finding is abundantly clear: the value of soft skills in increasing employability and propelling business success cannot be overstated. Soft skills allow individuals to create dynamic and resilient professional environments, while creating meaningful and applicable work. They also contribute to an employee’s ability to rise into leadership roles, motivating their teams and creating a healthy workplace culture. The significance of soft skills does not completely negate the value found in technical skills but rather when thoroughly developed soft skills and hard skills work in tandem, a professional is sure to contribute keenly to business success.
Key SoftImprove Findings & Implementation
The consortium divided the research into four different soft skill categories: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Methodological, and Digital. SoftImprove has translated these four categories into their various course offerings, interpersonal becoming “Personal Skills,” intrapersonal becoming “Social Skills,” and methodological remaining as “Methodological Skills.” The digital skills area is found as a key theme across all three courses. Additionally, these trainings have been found to be applicable to target groups of jobseekers, employed professionals, or entrepreneurs.
The team carried out surveys and semi-structured interviews to measure the effects of soft skills through job seekers, employees, and entrepreneurs. Participants were asked a series of questions spanning personal information, opinions on soft skills and previous career experiences.
From the various research methods, key findings include:
Workplaces value a broad spectrum of soft skills
Across all countries, time management is coveted skill to develop
Country of origin can determine what skills are valued over others
Interactive learning is a favorite learning method
The amount of time people aim to dedicate to soft-skill training is 1-5 hours per week
Entrepreneurs focus on digital and methodological skills, employees emphasize digital and social skills, job seekers focus on personal and methodological skills
With those findings and the research detailed in the report, the objectives of SoftImprove are to develop advanced training modules on soft skills utilizing theoretical insights, personalized coaching, interactive gamification, and peer-to-peer evaluation. The project also hopes to establish an e-learning platform to meet diverse learning needs in a way that is concise, engaging, learner-centric, and adaptable.
This study, overall, demonstrates the importance of soft skills especially in today’s world. The team’s research is a catalyst for change, identifying diverse demographic groups and inspiring a generation of professionals to always continue learning.
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