An exploratory study of priority soft skills for the future of work and the implications for FET in Ireland

The Future of Jobs report (World Economic Forum, 2020) maps the job and skills requirements of the future. The report finds that automation, coupled with Covid-19 is creating what is referred to as, a ‘double disruption’ for workers (p. 5). To successfully negotiate a changing work environment people will need Soft Skills such as adaptability, resilience, inter and intrapersonal communication, tolerance of ambiguity and emotional intelligence. According to Newman (2014), Emotional Intelligence is already a differentiating factor in high- quality leadership, and it is increasingly a key employability criterion. This research aims to identify the priority Soft Skills required for the future workplace and the implications for Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland functions in developing learning and training pathways for key Soft Skills. It examines the perceptions of stakeholders about what they understand Soft Skills to be; seeks to understand how they are defined in the various stakeholder domains; identify the priority Soft Skills for the post-Covid workplace and discuss teaching and learning strategies that would enhance the acquisition of Soft Skills. The research is qualitative, interpretivist in approach and conducted through an exploratory case study; there is a broad range of participant from business settings, HR, training bodies, FET, as well as recent college graduates. Research methods included semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Results show issues with nomenclature across all sectors, the term ‘Soft Skills’ being inadequate in capturing the constituent elements. Employers confirm a skills gap at graduate level indicating that while highly qualified, graduates lack the practical Soft Skills requirements of the modern workplace. Priority Soft Skills are identified as Empathy, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Listening and adaptability. Soft Skills, while intrinsic to primary education at policy and practice levels, tend to lessen in post primary and do not feature explicitly at this time as a taught skills in FET. This research shows that there may be a need to revisit a national understanding of Soft Skills, and the structures and strategies required to deliver them within FET work-based training systems to meet emerging demand