Soft skills that students need for success

There’s no doubt that a solid base in literature, advanced math, the scientific process, and a thorough understanding of history are important to your child’s education. But educators and employers alike are increasingly emphasizing the importance of teaching children crucial “soft skills” before they reach graduation.


The term “soft skills” refers to things like problem solving, self-motivation, leadership, and communication. Skills like emotional control, socialization, and finding and maintaining a sense of purpose also fall under this category. These attributes help people interact effectively and harmoniously with others. Hard skills are more concrete and can be measured. Reading, writing, math, and job-specific skills fall into this category. For many years, educators did not consider teaching soft skills, but as employers continue to look for workers with these soft skills, it has become more important for schools to consider teaching them.


The best schools offer ways for students to develop soft skills along with their academics. Students who have developed their soft skills in secondary school are much more likely to be successful in college and the workplace. A school may include soft skills training in its teaching methods by encouraging self-motivation, goal setting, and planning.


A teaching method that emphasizes group work can go a long way to helping students develop socially, and hone important soft skills. Working in groups and teams teaches students communication, leadership, and how to collaborate. Group work is critical to learning problem-solving, and can teach a student to solve more complex problems than they could on their own.


When placing your child in a school that emphasizes soft skills alongside academic success, you can rest assured that your child will graduate with skills in goal setting, self-motivation, social skills, professionalism, responsibility, flexibility, and teamwork.


These skills are incredibly important for students pursuing higher learning after high school. College can be a very challenging academic environment, and being able to focus, plan, and motivate oneself is crucial to student success. In college, students will need to be able to work independently in a rigorous academic environment, often with very little guidance. And when starting their career, students will find that being able to communicate and lead effectively will give them a major leg up over other job candidates.


In order to set your child up for success, it’s important to consider a secondary education that will teach them these necessary soft skills. If you’d like to learn more about how Gateway America incorporates these skills into our academic program, contact us today at GatewayAmerica@mac.com.

​Shawn Vicknair