Soft Skills For Success

A 7-session programme

FORMAT: IN-PERSON

‘Soft Skills For Success’ is a 7-session programme for young people aged 16-25. It comprised seven one-hour sessions, ideally run weekly.

The programme allows participants to explore each of the five Barriers that block the entire range of soft skills. They discover how these Barriers stop them from reaching their personal and professional potential. And they learn how to change this situation.

“This programme actually made me think about my life, past, present and future. It made me realise to be who I am and not think about what others think of me.”

Asiya

The programme increases awareness of soft skills and an understanding of their value. It gives participants the tools to break through the Barriers – immediately and in future – so they can access their innate soft skills, develop them further, and display them to others.

Ideally, participants will have first completed the Be Yourself Brilliantly! introductory workshop, but this is not essential.

“I have gained more confidence and skills through the programme. I know how to prepare better for an interview. And why soft skills are important.”

Erica

Workshop Content

SESSION I: an introduction to the programme.

In SESSIONS 2 – 6, participants consider each of the five Barriers through a presentation, discussion and activities. They explore:

  • the Barrier’s impact on our life
  • the skills blocked by the Barrier
  • how the Barrier can be broken so skills can be accessed and developed
  • the positive change brought about when the Barrier is broken

SESSION 2:   Backward Focus. Developing leadership skills such as self-reliance, reflection, independent thinking, using initiative.

SESSION 3:   Inward Focus. Developing communication skills such as teamwork, listening, presenting, empathising.

SESSION 4:   Downward Focus. Developing trust skills such as confidence, motivation, concentration, self-promotion.

SESSION 5:   Right Focus. Developing structured skills such as self-discipline, time management, decision making, organising.

SESSION 6:   Left Focus. Developing creative skills such as using imagination, having an individual perspective, problem-solving, experimenting.

Participants are assigned activities – or ‘quests’ to do between sessions in the real world, to try out the techniques they’ve explored in the session and embed the learning. They review these activities in the subsequent session.

SESSION 7: This wraps up the programme. Participants share presentations with the group to recap what they’ve learnt, a memorable reminder of how to apply soft skills in the workplace and throughout life.

Workshop Outcomes

  • 95% of the students responded to the question ‘How useful was this 7-session programme you?’ with 10 (highest value)
  • This 7-session programme (7 hours) increased the students’ soft skills levels up to 46%, work readiness by up to 16% and wellbeing up to 8%. The control groups showed 0% increase over the same period.

More results can be seen here.

Here is a selection of participants’ feedback:

Did this session change the way you think about your life?

  • Yes, I now know how important soft skills are and learnt about them.
  • Yes, because sometimes I can feel demotivated and it encouraged me to be more positive.
  • Yes, because it will help me in the future when I’m going to have a job.
  • Yes, it made me realise that if you care about what people think or say to you, you will always feel rubbish.
  • Yes, because I am very shy, so seeing that I can really express myself and give my opinions changed the way I think.
  • Yes, because it makes you realise how the educational system doesn’t teach us important things.
  • Yes, because I thought all skills were the same and were used in the same way.
  • Yes, that if we follow what people think and want we end up living in a box.
  • Yes, it made me think about how I present myself in an interview.
  • Yes, it has opened my mind to think more about my actions in life.

What was the most useful thing you learnt?

  • To be more confident and not shut myself off
  • This was all a totally new experience
  • How to break barriers, to overcome them
  • That I can do anything and I need to work on my confidence
  • About manipulative people
  • How to manage my own time
  • To put my past away – it is gone
  • Tips on how to have a good interview
  • Why soft skills are important
  • Using my time in a good way and not wasting it
  • To trust myself and bin the negative thoughts
  • To be comfort with self, can stand and speak
  • About imagination, about being myself
  • Everything!
  • This is important for job and life. It must be continued.

What did you enjoy most about the sessions?

  • I really learn how to break some barriers I have
  • The teacher was very good at explaining
  • About values
  • How to defend myself
  • The mind-map
  • The interaction between the teachers and students
  • Preparing for an interview
  • Speaking about motivation
  • Bin that thought
  • The activities and videos
  • Working with others
  • Breaking through my fears
  • Being open-minded to new things
  • Hearing everyone’s opinions
  • Everything…it was really interesting