Teaching soft skills in workforce programs: Findings from WorkAdvance providers

• Published in: American Enterprise Institute Research Papers
• Main Author: Schaberg, Kelsey
• Format: Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research 23.09.2019
• Subjects: Skill development; Skills; Soft skills; Workforce

Key Points * Soft skills have been valued in the workplace for decades, and recent research suggests that soft skills are important for academic and economic success. Yet there is no consensus around how to define these skills or what term to use for them, and little rigorous evidence is available on how best to teach these skills in the context of workforce programs. * WorkAdvance offers training to low-income adults in both technical and soft skills. WorkAdvance providers offered soft skills instruction as part of their career readiness training. The providers all had the same goal—to equip participants with the skills they needed to succeed in the workplace—but varied in how the providers approached and implemented soft skills training. * One main finding from the WorkAdvance evaluation’s implementation analysis was that soft skills taught in career readiness training were as important to participants and employers as the technical skills taught in occupational skills training. Yet, many participants who lost their jobs did so due to issues around soft skills. This suggests some participants could have benefited from additional soft skill instruction and that there is still room to improve how soft skills are taught within workforce programs.