Perhaps in response to the unemployment numbers, the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the release of “Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success,” a collection of career development training activities to help sharpen the communication and other “soft” skills of workers, particularly younger workers.
The DOL’s curriculum, which covers communication, networking, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking and professionalism, is based on the results of a survey of prominent businesses to determine what they believe to be the most important competencies and skills for young workers. According to recent surveys, nearly three-quarters of employers indicated that younger workers were deficient in such basic skills as punctuality, verbal communication and working productively with others. Businesses across the nation have identified soft skills as crucial to the hiring and employment success of all workers.
Certainly, the knowledge of “soft” skills such as communication strategies, teamwork, time management, and so forth, are essential to succeed in today’s workplace. That’s why emTRAiN offers a whole library of courses on these topics to help increase the ability of employees and improve overall workforce performance.