Soft Skills E-training for Youth and Job Seekers
For the digital skills and distance learning development, ILO projects are developing two e-training courses on ICT skills, namely motion graphic and computer/IT network for the Ministry of Manpower (MoM).
Background
The ILO’s Japan-funded Skills project and UNIQLO project, funded by Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., jointly aim to promote and pilot digital skills and distance learning, and generate synergies between skills development and other labour market policies.For digital skills and distance learning development, ILO projects are developing two e-training courses on ICT skills, namely motion graphic and computer/IT network for the Ministry of Manpower (MoM). In addition to technical or job-specific skills such as the motion graphic and computer/IT network, soft skills are valued in the world of work as much as technical skills. Taking into account the importance of soft skills, ILO projects will organize a series of e-training on soft skills to improve the employability of youth and job seekers.
In addition to technical or job-specific skills such as the motion graphic and IT network, soft skills are valued in the world of work as much as technical skills. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report in 2020 underlines the top skills that increasingly demanded by companies are all soft skills. These include critical thinking and analysis, problem solving and self-management skills. Furthermore,the 2020 survey on youth and COVID-19 pandemic by the ILO finds that since the pandemic has forced youth to stay at home, they start to take new e-training courses. Some of the skills that they chose to learn are soft skills such as communication and teamwork.
Taking into account the importance of soft skills in the world of work, the Project will organize e-training on soft skills targeting a hundred youth and job seekers. The soft skills that are selected based on the findings of rapid assessment on ICT skills demand that was completed by the Project in October 2020 are: (a) building integrity/honesty, (b) working as part of a team, (c) critical and analytical thinking, (d) communication and (e) preparing for a job interview and CV. By receiving both technical skills training and soft skills training, youth and job seekers will be more equipped to enter or re-enter the job market.