Growing the Person: Communication, soft skills and the broader curriculum

Abstract or Summary

The importance of soft skills and communication in the employability of new graduates has been widely researched internationally, and our own research in this area surveying local employers supports this notion. This obviously necessitates a continued need for engagement between tertiary and industry. However, we would propose that educators need roles within this process too, as they are the ones who translate the desires of employers into embedding the requisite skills within practical time-bound courses. So, who teaches these skills? Is it the role of the communication tutor? Is work integrated learning the answer? If so, how can we scaffold students to function effectively in professional contexts? Should communication and soft skills be embedded in other courses, as is proposed in the latest version of the New Zealand Diploma of Business? This workshop uses a survey of conference delegates and workshop participants in order to explore the issue of where communication and soft skills should sit within tertiary programmes. While we concede that there may not be one solution, we would like to foster a collaborative and interactive approach in the workshop to problem solving this very important issue. Through sharing practice and reconstructing models and case studies, by the end of the workshop participants will have developed a set of questions and best practice options which provide flexibility, while ensuring students graduate with the skills required by employers.