Essential Soft Skills

The Essential Soft Skills self-study certificate program will teach you the skills needed to get more interviews, nail the interview and succeed in your new jobs, write a cover letter, and more. The term soft skills applies to general "people skills," such as communication, teamwork, and professionalism. Unlike hard skills — which are applied toward specific types of jobs, such as computer programming, construction, or medical care — soft skills aren't often directly taught in school or career training programs. Yet, they are just as, if not more, important that hard skills in many jobs. Essential Soft Skills measures foundational work habits and employability skills that employers commonly define as essential to gain and maintain employment including conveying professionalism, communicating effectively, teamwork and collaboration, and thinking critically and solving problems. This program offers soft skills training through seven online courses, giving you a foundation of knowledge and tools to be a valuable employee.  

A workforce with a broad mix of skills is crucial for business. Formal qualifications and technical skills are only part of the requirements for modern employees. ‘Soft skills’ and personal attributes are just as important to success. It is forecasted that soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030, compared to half of all jobs in 2000. The number of jobs in soft-skill intensive occupations is expected to grow at 2.5 times the jobs rate in other occupations.

· Soft skills of employees could increase revenue by more than $20,000

· Demand for soft skills exceeds supply by up to 45 percentage points

· 2/3 jobs will be soft skill intensive by 2030