Inclusion of soft skills training in curriculum

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, nurturing soft skills is becoming increasingly important, and employers are actively seeking individuals who possess these skills. Soft skills are a blend of personal attributes, social skills, communication abilities, and emotional intelligence, which allow individuals to interact and operate collaboratively with others effectively.

The inclusion of soft skills training in the curriculum can have a substantial impact on the overall development of students. Soft skills training facilitates students to acquire competencies that are necessary for success in various dimensions of life, including communication, problem-solving, collaboration, time management, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. The importance of these skills cannot be overstated, as they help shape an individual's personality which in turn influences how they interact with others.

Effective communication is significant for success in any domain, be it academics, career or personal life. In this regard, soft skills training can enable students to enhance their communication abilities, including written and verbal communication, making them better able to express themselves.

This can lead to enhanced academic performance, better relationships with peers and teachers, and eventually better employment prospects.

Soft skills can be acquired with persistence and practice. Their inclusion in daily routine may begin with simple gestures, such as starting your day with a smile, greeting everyone on your way to your work/college/school, and developing good listening skills.The need for these skills arises from the fact that for any business activity, we need to interact with different stakeholders both within and outside the organisation.

You may be the CEO faced with investors or a manager faced with clients or an HR faced with employees infuriated with recent cuts in annual bonuses. Again the list is inclusive, not exhaustive, how do you get through these situations?

No technical know-how would help you here and there is no standard manual that you can follow when it comes to human interactions. It would therefore come down to your composure, oratory skills, and experience in dealing with tough individuals/situations.

The isolated and remote work in the last couple of years has highlighted the value of soft skills. As business and management have become more direct in the online realm, the manners and attitudes of individual managers have been exposed. Businesses have learnt to put a higher value on soft skills and B-schools need to go beyond perfunctory soft skill modules and integrate soft skill training in their core curriculum.

Having acknowledged the importance of soft skills as binding as technical qualifications, it brings us to question how we inculcate an environment which is conducive to the development of these skills. The answer lies in the way our course curriculums are structured for various professional qualifications.

India has the largest share of the service sector across the globe and the industry understands the importance of customer service. Today, we need working professionals who can establish a connection with customers across the globe, understand their needs, deliver effective solutions, help them run their businesses and form long-term partnerships.

To achieve all these goals, we would need a workforce which is not only technically sound but also socially sound. The one that not only knows what needs to be achieved but also how to achieve those goals with maximum benefits for both parties.

While traditionally, the understanding of soft skills in India was limited to language (such as learning English or Spanish etc.), however, the span is widening with the increase in literacy owing to better education opportunities. As a result, more people can speak and understand English in India, dwarfing the number of individuals in the US, Canada and Europe put together.

With this, a need is now felt for more elaborate pieces of training such as cross-cultural training, advanced rhetorical/extempore courses, problem-solving and project-based training etc. Today it becomes imperative for students and institutions to invest time in acquiring these human skills for sustainable success over a long period.

(The author is Placement Chairperson, Jaipuria School of Business, Ghaziabad)