A couple of weeks ago, Smart Beginnings hosted its annual breakfast, during which a panel of speakers made up of education leaders discussed the initiatives they are taking in their schools to prepare students for the workforce, as well as college. The one thing they all have in common is that they are heavily concentrating on helping students with soft skills.

This is a wonderful thing to hear, because regardless whether the student is planning on furthering their education, soft skills are required in the workforce.

Some of the soft skills local schools are working on with students are communication, presentation skills, public speaking, interviewing, strategic planning, teamwork, collaboration, adaptability, problem solving, conflict resolution, critical observation and more. Every situation you come across in your adult life will require one or more of these skills.

These skills not only help people get jobs, they also help them keep those jobs.

In today’s society, it’s not enough to be trained in a particular skill. Something has to set you aside from everyone else applying for the same job, and these soft skills do just that.

According to several career websites, soft skills are something that managers and business owners look for when hiring a new employee. These skills let employers know that prospects have the ability to work well with others, take feedback, manage their time and so on.

When students are applying for college or applying for jobs, these are skills they need to include in their resume and cover letter. It looks good, and just like the hard skills, they show off their accomplishments.

Graduation is near for seniors, and they are all planning their futures. We encourage graduates to take these skills learned while in high school and use them on whatever path they are planning to take. Soft skills will always be useful.