The Bell 500 gives us the opportunity to share thoughts on a wide range of educational topics from global contributors and gives you the opportunity to read 500 words to motivate your mind. It's quick, it’s focused and it’s always topical.
Soft Skills: linking education and employment
What are soft skills? How are soft skills different from hard skills? How are they “taught” in education settings? How do they relate to employment? These are just a few of the questions surrounding soft skills but let’s start by trying to define them. Soft skills are a combination of abilities which are related to people and social situations, rather than a person's technical abilities. In other words, they’re the intangibles or the skills that we can sometimes take for granted. Soft skills are the way we “do” things while hard skills are about “doing” particular tasks. The problem is that many people find that although soft skills can be taken for granted, not everyone has a natural inclination or ability and these skills need to be taught. Some common examples of soft skills are relationship-building, teamwork, communication, adaptability, empathy, problem-solving and leadership.