What Are Soft Skills and Why Are They Important?

Increased global trade coupled with diversified employment opportunities have generated demand for college graduates that possess enhanced soft skills. Recent survey results collected from a wide range of employers identified communications skills as the most important skill or quality when selecting candidates. The ability to work within a team structure, solve complex problems, and organize and prioritize work also rank high among needs of the industry. Despite a rigorous focus on technical or theoretical knowledge, identification and development of soft skills in students may often be overlooked or not fully developed in graduates from post-secondary academic programs. Proper identification and focus on the development of these skills is critical to student success and the ability of academic programs to prepare tomorrow’s leaders for needs of the industry.