It’s no secret that today’s job market is extremely competitive, as recent graduates and ambitious job seekers compete for opportunities that will kickstart their careers.
Universities and places of higher education play an important role in shaping the future workforce, especially when it comes to equipping their students with the correct skills and abilities. Many teachers and professors face the challenge of not only teaching theoretical knowledge, but also practical soft skills that are vital in today’s job market. In fact, demonstrating such skills and having a well-written CV education section can be the determining factors in landing the job!
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most essential skills in today’s job market and find ways to integrate them in a curriculum while keeping students engaged and interested.
What Are Some of the Most In-Demand Skills in Today’s Job Market?
According to the results of a study conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center, 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills, while only 15% comes from actual knowledge and theoretical skills.
The following skills are crucial to have in order to be successful in any job:
Organisation — Perhaps one of the most important soft skills of all, organisation is the foundation for any successful project. Without it, a person wastes time going in circles, working on the wrong objectives, and/or missing deadlines. There are also important sub-skills that fall under organisation, including time management, creating goals, and properly optimising resources.
Communication Skills — The key to good relationships and efficient workflow is communication. The ability to clearly communicate thoughts and feelings is a useful skill in any profession, whether it’s a nurse discussing a patient’s diagnosis to the doctor; a CEO communicating organisational goals for the next year, or teachers explaining complex concepts in an easy and understandable manner.
Analytical Skills — Agatha Christie’s famous character, Poirot, was famous for solving complex crimes using his ‘little grey [brain] cells’ — and that’s exactly why analytical skills are so important. The ability to analyse information, interpret the data, and draw logical conclusions are especially important in high-paced work environments, and are a crucial skill for IT professionals, scientists, business analysts, and lawyers.
How Universities Can Equip Students With Soft Skills
Now that we’ve identified some of the most in-demand skills, it’s time to take a closer look at how universities can actually teach their students these skills.
Create an Updated Curriculum
In order to stay on top of the latest trends and breakthroughs, university-level and course-level curriculums should be regularly updated. However, that’s not always the case — according to a recent survey, many professors noted that their university’s curriculum was out-of-date, and in some cases, hadn’t been updated in at least five years!
There are a few ways to create a new curriculum and align its goals with current trends. First, it’s important to research and monitor these trends — take a look at the needs of the labor market and come up with ways to introduce them into the curriculum. While doing so, it’s also important to identify gaps and any potential challenges that might arise.
Another excellent tip is to add technology and new developments. For example, gamification is a new yet very popular tool to keep students engaged and interested in course materials — and as a bonus, it also develops organisation and teamwork skills!
Get Everyone On Board
While having a fresh curriculum is a step in the right direction, it’s also very important to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to actually implementing the new program.
Make sure that key players such as administrators, professors, and even students are aware of the new curriculum. The best way to do so is to hold meeting and awareness campaigns to highlight what’s new, why the changes are important. The key is to create an atmosphere of excitement and interest in the curriculum.
Offer Extracurricular Internships to Practise Skills
To supplement the traditional learning experience, consider adding extracurricular internships as part of a course. These opportunities provide students with practical and hands-on experience that will allow them to hone their soft skills and apply them to a variety of real-world situations.
Beyond refining skills and learning new abilities, internships also play a key role in creating relationships between students and industry professionals. While they often start as internships, these partnerships have the potential to pave the way for future employment opportunities!Provide Free Workshops and Masterclasses
In addition to internships, universities can offer ‘bite sized’ educational sessions in the form of free workshops and short weekend classes. A notable example is the Foster School of Business, which is known for its innovative seminars covering a spectrum of topics like Soft Skills, Managing Diverse Teams, Writing for Executive Engagement, and other valuable career skills.