Academics vs. Soft Skills: An expert weighs in on the value of each in preparing students for life after high school
More than ever, employers and universities are looking for more than just academic skills. In fact, according to CareerBuilder.com, 71% of employers value emotional intelligence and soft skills over IQ. These skills are essential for success both in school and in life after graduation.
We recently locked arms with Amanda Flora, Ph.D. and Associate Professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Education & Human Development, to talk about the importance of social and emotional skills in career readiness. Dr. Flora provided tips on how to integrate these skills into schools’ curricula + more.
Keep reading to find out the essential takeaways you can incorporate into your classroom throughout the school year to prepare students for happy, healthy, and successful futures.
Intersecting SEL and Career Development
Now more than ever, it’s up to educators to prepare students for career development by integrating social-emotional techniques into their curriculum. In fact, 92% of professionals say soft skills are equal to or more important than technical skills.
In fact, a Job Outlook Survey by NACE shows a shift in the current hiring culture, as employers are placing greater emphasis on soft skills, personal attributes, and character, rather than numbers and test scores. This means students’ social and emotional skills need to continue to be developed, explored, and prioritized rather than solely measuring a student based on metrics such as GPA and test scores.
“The more that the folks in the K-12 system are helping students with their emotional regulation and soft skills, the more we’re doing to prepare them for their careers.”
– Dr. Flora
Representation Matters
What did you want to be when you were a student? Who influenced you?
Students get ideas about their future careers from various sources such as the media, family, friends, and educators. Dr. Flora stresses the importance of representation and visual exposure to students in their future careers.
“Part of the job of school counselors, and part of the job of adults working with children, is to make sure that students are exposed to all careers,” she says. “When you’re telling students that anybody can be a teacher, anybody can be an athlete, anybody can be a doctor, they’ve got to see it too. They have to see it.”
TSI’s Take
The classroom can be and should be more than just a place to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. It has to be a place for students to develop the soft skills that will help students as they prepare for their futures. Check out these resources for more information on how you can help your students get career ready:
CASEL Framework
CASEL Competencies provide a framework for schools to help students develop academically and socially, both in person and on screens. The research shows that teaching students five key social skills competencies will benefit them throughout their lives. These competencies are:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible decision making
For a complete breakdown of the CASEL framework, check out their research here.
#WinAtSocial Curriculum
Empower your students to develop modern-day life skills that will prepare them for a tech-fueled and social media-filled future with #WinAtSocial, our online peer-to-peer technology that delivers student-embraced, age-appropriate lessons that highlight student perspectives and voices around social experiences – both online and offline. Lessons are updated year-round as students’ experiences evolve, are reviewed by researchers, and are aligned with evidence-based CASEL competencies and the Understanding By Design framework. Request a demo here.
Hear more from Dr. Flora
Interested in gaining more tips on how you can prepare your students for career readiness? Watch our webinar with Dr. Amanda Flora to explore:
- Non-academic skills that colleges and employers are looking for and the gaps that currently exist in K-12 curriculum
- Challenges and solutions in defining career readiness from K-12 and specific tips to integrate social skill-building techniques into your classroom
- Ways cultural influences factor into students’ career development
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.