Youthreach Soft Skills Framework
An initiative by
Mary Gordon, NEPS & Co Meath VEC Youthreach Centres
Youthreach soft skills framework
Culmination of years of work by practitioners working directly in Youthreach or providing services to Youthreach.
The rationale for the project is to direct attention to the personal and social skills that form a core part of the programme and a major part of the work of centres.
Youthreach soft skills framework
• Representatives of the six Youthreach centres in Co Meath: Vivienne Branigan, Vanessa Connell, Aaron Fowler, Eileen Gargan, Fiona Graham, Alan Larkin, Liz Lavery, Enda McDonnell, David O’Connor
• Mary Gordon, Senior Psychologist in the Department of Education and Skills
• This project is being supported by NEPS and Co Meath VEC
Soft skills and well-being
A person’s well-being relates to their physical, social and mental state. It requires that basic needs are met, that people have a sense of purpose, that they feel able to achieve important goals, to participate in society and to live the lives they value and have reason to value. People’s well-being is enhanced by conditions that include financial and personal security, meaningful and rewarding work, supportive personal relationships, strong and inclusive communities, good health, a healthy and attractive environment, and values of democracy and social justice. (NESC, 2009, p. 138)
The purpose of the Youthreach soft skills project
1. To identify the range of soft skills that are relevant to the work of centres and to locate these on a framework
The purpose of the Youthreach soft skills project
2. To identify suitable pedagogical approaches and resources for teaching soft skills
The purpose of the Youthreach soft skills project
3. To identify appropriate ways to measure learners’ progress in the development of soft skills
The purpose of the Youthreach Soft Skills Project
4. To identify appropriate ways to record and report on learners’ progress in relation to soft skills
What are soft skills?
• ‘Soft skills’, ‘Key skills’ and ‘Key competencies’ • Soft skills continuum • Education and labour narket initiatives• Soft skills are not so much identified, as
constructed
(This gives a central position to the question of the purpose and values underpinning the identification of these skills.)
The rationale for identifying and teaching soft skills could be
• The empowerment of the learner • To prepare the worker for the labour market• To support the individual
–to become an effective citizen –to become an effective parent/family
member–to live respectfully in a culturally diverse
society –to have environmental awareness
Some or all of the above
The rationale for identifying and teaching soft skills
Impacts on:
•The aim of the project
•The teaching methods
•The power dynamics between teacher and learner
•The areas chosen for assessment
•How assessment is done
Teaching soft skills
• Contextualising the skills in a meaningful situation and integrating them into other skills and activities
• The fundamental issue may lie in the actual development or teaching of soft skills, rather than focusing only on their assessment.
Methodologies
• Having clarity about the specific skills being taught
• Using formal, non-formal and informal approaches
• Recognition … and therefore assessment
Assessing Soft Skills
• International projects are concerned to measure
soft skills
– Not academic learning per se…
– But things like problem-solving, learning to learn and
working with others.
– Certain areas are commonly considered to be difficult
or impossible to assess.
Assessment of soft skills
Identifying the gains made in the acquisition of soft skills
• ‘Soft outcomes’ …?• ‘Soft indicators’ …?• ‘Distance travelled’ …?
A soft skills framework
Soft skills framework
3 key competencies
Responsibility
Power
Confidence
Soft skills framework
3 domains
Others
The world
The self
Soft skills framework
Responsibility
Focus: On others
Power
Focus: On the world
Confidence
Focus: On the self
Workshop 1
Divide into 3 groups
Each group takes a domain and identifies some of the soft skill
competencies involved in it
Soft skills framework
Competencies involve both awareness and acceptance
Responsibility
sensitivity towards and consideration
for others
Confidence
awareness of andacceptance of the
self
Power
knowledge of and appreciation for the
world
Soft skills framework
Competencies involve skills
ResponsibilitySelf-regulation
skillsSocial skills
Confidence
Life skillsSelf-regulation skills
Power
Social skillsLife skills
Competencies versus skills
“From a strictly conceptual viewpoint, competence has a broader meaning than skill and many analysts consider a competence to include several skills. If we accept that distinction, then the concept of competence should be considered as broader, more general and a higher level of cognition and complexity than the concept skill.” (Tiana, 2004)
Youthreach soft skills framework
Competencies involve:
• Values
• Awareness
• Skills
Awareness and acceptance of self
Life and self-regulation skills
Knowledge of the world and appreciation for how
it worksSocial and life skills
Sensitivity and consideration towards
others Self-regulation and
social skills
Power Responsibility
Confidence
Soft skills framework
Competencies as overlapping
Life skills
Social skills
Self-regulation skills
Power Responsibility
Confidence
Soft skills framework
Skills as overlapping
Domains Competencies Skills
The self
Confidence Self-awareness and -management
Life skills Self-regulation skills
Others
Responsibility Social awareness and effectiveness
Self-regulation skills
Social skills
The world
Power Knowledge of and effectiveness in the world
Social skills
Life skills
Soft skills framework
Workshop 2Divide into 3 groups again
In each group explore under the headings what skills might be
demonstrated by a learner in each area of competency
Domains Competencies Skills
The self
Awareness of self Management of self
LifeCan look after self in practical ways e.g. presentation, sexual healthCan ask for helpCan have fun with othersCan make decisions and plans to benefit self and advance life goals
Self-regulation Can recognise emotionsCan cope with adverse circumstancesCan manage interactions with others Can be assertive Can exercise control over substancesCan put in effort and motivate self
Others
Awareness of others Effectiveness with others
Self-regulation Can manage emotions e.g. anger, jealousy, exuberance, anxietyCan restrain impulsivityCan take responsibility for own actionsCan decentre and notice othersCan observe rules
Social Can understand where others are coming fromCan take care of othersCan empathise with othersCan communicate effectively in social situations
The world
Knowledge of the world Effectiveness in the world
Social Can work cooperatively with others Can deal effectively with people in formal and semi-formal situationsCan follow instructions from othersCan keep own wordCan manage others
LifeCan solve a range of practical problemsCan access information and use itCan employ learning strategiesCan locate self within the wider world and understand its structures, practices and rulesCan think about and evaluate social and political matters or events
Soft skills framework
Teaching soft skills
Teaching soft skillsFocus: The self Goal: To develop confidence Competencies involved include: Emotional literacy, a sense of identity, a sense of purpose
Skills: Life skills•Can look after self in practical ways e.g. self-presentation, sexual health•Can ask for help•Can make decisions and plans to benefit self and advance life goals•Can have fun with others•Can recognise and place value on won achievements
Teaching soft skillsFocus: The self Goal: To develop confidence Competencies include: Emotional literacy, a sense of identity, a sense of purpose
Skills: Self-regulation skills•Can recognise emotions•Can express emotions appropriately•Can acknowledge own needs•Can be assertive without being aggressive•Can cope with adverse circumstances•Can manage anxiety and try out new experiences•Can put in effort and motivate self
Teaching soft skillsFocus: OthersGoal: To develop responsibility Competencies include: Social sensitivity, a sense of connectedness, a capacity for empathy
Skills Self-regulation skillsCan manage emotions (e.g. anger, jealousy, exuberance, anxiety)•Can restrain impulsivity•Can take responsibility for own actions•Can notice how others are feeling•Can take account of others•Can observe rules•Can handle criticism
Teaching soft skillsFocus: OthersGoal: To develop responsibility Competencies include: Social sensitivity, a sense of connectedness, a capacity for empathy
Skills Social skills •Can understand where others are coming from•Can de-centre and observe others’ experience•Can take care of others•Can empathise with others•Can listen•Can communicate effectively in social situations•Can manage and resolve conflicts
Teaching soft skillsFocus: The world Goal: To develop powerCompetencies include: Relational awareness, ability to decentre the self, curiosity
Skills: Social skills•Can work cooperatively with others •Can deal effectively with people in formal and semi-formal situations•Can be punctual and reliable•observe social rules and niceties•Can keep own word•Can lead others•Can manage others
Teaching soft skillsFocus: The World Goal: To develop powerCompetencies include: relational awareness, ability to decentre the self, curiosity
Skills: Life skills•Can solve a range of practical problems•Can access information and use it•Can employ learning strategies•Can understand the structures, practices and rules that apply in the wider world•Can locate self within the wider world •Can think about and evaluate social and political matters or events
Rating, planning and recording progress
10 point rating scale
The 10-point rating scale is not envisaged as an equal-interval measure. For example the move from 1 to 2 could be considerably greater than from 8 to 9.
TemplatePage 1
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Recording soft skills
Record includes both • Quantitative rating and• Qualitative description (reason for rating)Meaning of rating• A collaborative decisionRating values• Slower progress at first• But greater achievement
Planning
Template records rating and reason for rating
Template also records plan – link to teaching
Measuring progress
• Templates over time show progress made by each individual (distance travelled)
• Reasons for ratings identify soft indicators and imply soft outcomes
• Total templates over time show achievement of centre
Pilot project in Co Meath Youthreach centres
• Piloted in 2012 in six centres
• Very positive evaluation from centres
• Next step: Role out in other VEC areas
• New context of Solas
• Need for “metrics”