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Soft Skills training for FAME students

LAURA CATOE

Jacksonville State University

GRADUATE STUDENT CAPSTONE PROJECT

INTEGRATED STUDIES PROGRAM, DR. JENNIE VAUGHN, FALL 2022

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Who am I?

My background

Gadsden State Community College
PR & Marketing Department
Web Design/Social Media

3 years in the position
Master of Arts, Integrated Studies
Communications, Business & Marketing

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The problem to solve:

“Students need soft skills.”

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Solution

The students are already obtaining excellent technical training and some soft skill development.
Modifying the Humanities course requirement in the 4th semester can help hone soft skills.

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What are Soft Skills?

Self-management
Critical thinking
Communication
Responsibility
Teamwork
Interpersonal skills
Imagination
Planning/organizing
Creativity
A willingness to learn
Attention to detail
Professionalism
Emotional intelligence

Source: Acero, Y. C. J., Castrillón, A. M. S., & León, R. B. (2022). Aspects that develop soft skills - a way for inclusion in engineering programmes. Leadership, 9(12), 15.

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Why soft skills are necessary

“The people who will be most successful in the workplace of the future will be those who cultivate soft skills that relate to how you think, work, and relate to other people.”

– Forbes, 2022

Source: Marr, Bernard. (2022). Top 16 Essential Soft Skills For The Future Of Work. Forbes.

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How to develop soft skills

Studies have shown that a way to develop soft skills is to include training in a program’s policies and content.

Researchers with the National Apprenticeship Service found that “experiential learning, experiential e-learning or real-life learning can reduce the significant gap between the industry’s requirements and the professional skills of a graduate.”

Source: Acero, Y. C. J., Castrillón, A. M. S., & León, R. B. (2022). Aspects that develop soft skills - a way for inclusion in engineering programmes. Leadership, 9(12), 15.

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What industry is looking for

Communication
Public Speaking
Critical/Analytical Thinking
Team Building Skills
Confidence

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Speech 106

SPH 106, Fundamentals of Oral Communication:

“A performance course that includes the principles of human communication: intrapersonal, interpersonal and public. The course surveys current communication theory and provides practical application for workforce readiness.”

Source: Gadsden State Community College catalog

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FAME SPH 106: Learning Goals

By the end of the class, students should be better communicators, have less anxiety about public speaking, be able to critically analyze messages, apply principles of group communication to work as a team and demonstrate confidence in their ability to communicate.

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FAME SPH 106: Course Modules

Module Soft Skill focus

Intro to Communication Confidence

Interpersonal Communication Communication

Group Communication Team building

Workforce Readiness Critical/Analytical skills

Public Speaking Public speaking

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Methods

Instrumental activities considered most effective tool to develop soft skills
SPH 106 will focus on experiential learning and project-based teaching methods
Assignments tailored to the FAME cohort

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Structure

The FAME program director asks instructors to keep students’ workload in mind; SPH 106 is structured so minimal assignments are due each week.

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Conclusion

FAME students will benefit from having a humanities course that is relevant to both their academic success and workforce needs.

SPH 106 can be a training ground for the soft skills these students need to succeed in the manufacturing industry.