Embedding Employer-Validated

Soft Skills Training, Assessment, and

Credentials in Career Pathway Programs

Michael Callans Courtney

Breckenridge Amanda Winters

National Career Pathways Network Conference, 2017

Overview

Attendees will learn about:

The Wonderlic Soft Skills Training Bootcamp -

need, features, curriculum, feedback

Findings from Building Illinois’ Bioeconomy

Consortium’s participation in the Wonderlic Soft

Skills Training Bootcamp scholarship competition

Essential employability skills frameworks and best

practices, in the state of Illinois and nationally

Soft Skill Bootcamp

Conception

Why Soft Skills?

Over 750 employers participated in Wonderlic’s nationwide

survey

Why Soft Skills?

only 46% of employers believe

that schools are

preparing students

with soft skills

Research

Committees/Partners

Employers Rated

Competencies Avoid laziness on a team

Choose appropriate courses of action

Communicate appropriately between

generations and groups with varying

educational levels

Identify common signs and symbols used in

the workplace

Use appropriate body language

Avoid barriers to effective listening

Listen and follow directions

Be dependable

Demonstrate commitment to the company or

team

Collaborate with others to set, plan for, and

reach goals

The Wonderlic Soft Skills Training

Bootcamp: Features

Interactive, online training program

Situational, competency-based learning

experiences

Employer-validated digital badges used to track

skill attainment

Flex option (in classroom or self-paced)

What Students are Saying

about the Courses “I liked the audio portions of the class, they clarified the content much more

than simply reading the material” -- Eunice J.

“This class was very clear, and the videos helped keep me engaged and the

videos kept my attention, because they were real life problems and solutions.

The multiple choice questions are much better than writing essays. I don't think

there is anything to improve, I liked it very much how it was set up” -- Crystal L.

“I enjoy this class and the scenario videos played, helps with a more visual

learner like myself” -- Cody D.

“The class was instructive and easy to understand. I got simple definitions of

the concepts and great examples to help me understand each one. I learned a

lot from this class. The real world situations were also helpful in understanding

why, how and when I could use my initiative and add value to my organization”

-- Barbara P.

Sample from Course

Preference on Proof

259 employers were asked if they would prefer the credential on the left more than the

credential on the right when making decisions about students’ knowledge of skills:

83% said YES

What Students are Saying

about Badges • “It was a great test, easy to understand, and exciting to see my skills I’ve

learned put to the test.” -- Cydney G.

• “I didn’t expect to get as many badges as I did. I was very proud of myself afterwards, and I can simply say it’s a great test and I will definitely be using it on my resume and recommending it to other Medical Assistants.” – Mariah F.

• “I feel extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to participate in the exam! I feel it will definitely be an advantage to be able to show prospective employers my abilities and specific skills.” -- Renae G.

• “During my interview, I found the employers had many questions about the badges, and the more we spoke about them, the more impressed they were!” --Nychelle S.

• “One of my Medical Assisting students, who is on externship, was called for five interviews because of her badge-filled resume! They are an excellent self-marketing tool! The employers are impressed with the digital badges and gave feedback to the student that they want to see more of these on future resumes.” -- Alexandria F., Career Services Advisor

•

What Employers Are Saying

8.2% of employers

agreed that they find

academic transcripts,

grades, and GPAs to be

highly reflective of students’

on-the-job skills.”

1.6% of employers

agreed that local colleges

provided them with

credentials that clearly

verified graduates’

knowledge and skills.”

83% of employers

stated that they prefer

digital badges over

academic transcripts when

making hiring decisions.”

86% of employers

stated that they would

encourage local educators to

provide students with

competency-based digital

badges.”

Cultural Sensitivity Course

Free

1) https://wonderlic.nuvolaacademy.com

2) Register as Corporation or Individual

3) Choose Cultural Sensitivity

4) Coupon Code: NCPN2017

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Need A consortium aiming to prepare residents of

Illinois and neighboring states for in demand, high wage jobs in the bioeconomy

From the scholarship application:

providing the soft skills training possibility within the BIB Consortium, through the Wonderlic Soft Skills Training Bootcamp, will add great value to a cutting-edge educational portfolio leading to high demand jobs for the green economy

soft skills training such as the one provided through Wonderlic is mentioned by a wide range of employers in the bioeconomy collaborating with the BIB Consortium as a needed characteristics for employees

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Participants BIB Consortium Target Audiences

On average, Illinois

TAA workers are out of

work for two years, the

extended layoff time

being attributed to a

significant gap

between the workers’

skills and the job

requirements

Many students might

not have resources to

sustain themselves

while addressing their

challenges in regards

to employability skills

Rollout both self-paced and in classroom options

Combination of soft skills training with hands-on,

experiential learning or on the job training (earn

and learn model)

Student support from case managers at Southern

Illinois University Edwardsville and Lewis and Clark

Community College

Data support from Psychology field study interns

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Approach

“Soft skills are definitely an asset and are necessary for

successful operators. The Wonderlic modules are self-

paced and easy to understand. Having candidates who

complete this training will assist us in bringing the most well

rounded candidates on site as interns and potentially as

operators. We look forward to the next internship interview

session where we can request badge information to learn

more about our candidates. Our jobs are not just about

mechanical skills; working successfully and professionally

with others is a skill set that’s required to be successful

here.” - Employer

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Results

“I found the Wonderlic soft skills training program to be very much needed in a world full of employers looking to hire students with added credentials above their degrees. The awarding of the badges at the completion of the program ties nicely into those added credentials. The videos embedded into the training proved very helpful if needing to go back to emphasize a point and were very well illustrated. All topics covered are very much a part of what new employees will deal with on a daily basis.” - Career development specialist, BIB Consortium partner college

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Results

“The Wonderlic soft skills training was both user-friendly and informative. The course material covered several soft skills that employers find desirable and it was communicated effectively and thoroughly. Overall, I would suggest this program to anyone who wanted to improve workplace relations.” - Student

“The Wonderlic soft skills training was a great program to help increase job skills. This training helped me to better myself in my current position and it will also help in the future. I would recommend this program to help others progress in their current or future job positions.” - Student

The BIB Consortium Experience:

Soft Skills Training Results

Employability Skills –National

Landscape US Department of Education - Career and Technical

Education

National Network - Common Employability Skills

ACT WorkKeys - National Career Readiness Certificate

Partnership for 21st Century Learning

Employability Skills - Advance CTE

Companies that Care

Employability Skills –Illinois

State Policy Landscape

Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act

College and Career Endorsements

Competency mapping

Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE)

Scaling of Apprenticeship Opportunities

Career Pathway development

Illinois Community College Board

Illinois

Essential

Employability

Skills

Framework

Consideration of Populations

Traditional age students (K-12)

Disconnected youth

Returning adult students (up-skilling/ College)

Career training (WIOA)

Summary

Attendees should leave the session with the following

items that will help them include employer-validated,

competency-based soft skills training, assessment,

and credentials in their programs:

A set of best practices

Actionable data and assessment tools

Ideas for broad frameworks

Embedding Employer-Validated

Soft Skills Training, Assessment, and

Credentials in Career Pathway Programs

Questions?

Michael Callans Courtney

Breckenridge Amanda Winters

National Career Pathways Network Conference, 2017