Essential skills, soft skills, workplace readiness skills, or people skills…no matter the word play, every industry big and small continues to seek those who are aware of and have mastered this vital skillset. Such skills include verbal and non-verbal communication, business etiquette, social etiquette, conflict resolution, timeliness, work ethic, and the ability to work with different, difficult, and diverse people. In fact, The National Work Readiness Council provides work readiness skill assessments that measure various work readiness skills and provide a “National Work Readiness Credential” to those who successfully complete the assessments, thus confirming their employability and professional aptitude.

In general, workplace readiness can be divided into three broad categories: Personal Qualities, Professional Knowledge & Skills, and Technical Knowledge & Skills. Personal qualities may be further categorized by positive work ethic, honesty, teamwork, self-presentation, conflict resolution, diversity awareness, and resourcefulness. However, professional knowledge & skills refers to areas such as speaking and listening, critical thinking and problem solving, written communication, customer service, and adaptive learning. Lastly, technical knowledge and skills are related to those job-specific competencies required to appropriately utilize workplace technologies such as computers, telecommunications, etc.

Still, another significant essential skill is networking. Networking is simply defined as the ease in which one can overcome personal fears to develop professional or social interactions with others. Mastery of this skillset can go far in setting potential employees apart in a highly competitive job market. Recognizing what employers need, aligning your unique attributes, and knowing how to execute a well thought out self-presentation will help ensure sustained career growth.

So why prioritize essential skill development? Employers want candidates who possess the academic/technical, critical thinking and personal skills necessary to both attain and maintain employment. Those with the ability to think and make sound decisions; who prioritize punctuality, work ethic and integrity; and possess a cooperative attitude will often win the respect of their co-workers and superiors quickly and are generally more poised for advancement opportunities than their fellow co-workers. This transferrable skills can be effectively applied to all aspects of life for increased personal and professional growth.

That’s why River Parishes Community College (RPCC) is working to help equip their students with those critical skills. In November, we will offer three Essential Skill seminar sessions at our Gonzales and Reserve campuses for current RPCC technical students. Twenty-four students will have the opportunity to participate in sessions that cover many of the topics mentioned above. The participants will conclude their training with mock-interviews conducted by industry partners such Shell, Marathon, OxyChem, BASF, Nucor Steel, and many more. They will conclude the training with a social networking event to help them hone the skills learned during previous sessions while mingling with local industry partners. Targeted training and support in this area helps students gain more self- confidence in selling their hard earned knowledge and skill to potential employers.

At RPCC, we recognize the vital importance of balancing the equation on both sides. Successful students and potential employees must artfully combine both the hard skill of formal knowledge and training and the soft skill of mindful human interactions.

 Monica Morrison is Campus Director for the Reserve Campus of River Parishes Community College. Email mmorrison@rpcc.edu or call 985-536-4418, ext. 203