Practical competencies are not enough: Soft skills for Society 4.0
The more holistic employee is a more productive employee
Practical skills, certifications and qualifications are not enough to survive the future of work; what is needed are foundational skills, or soft skills. These skills characterise a person’s relationship to the social environment. The good news is that, like other practical competencies, they can be developed.
Zukile Mvalo (Deputy Director General Skills Development Branch): Department of Higher Education and Training remembered marvelling at the level of synergy between some of the international teams at the World Skills Competition in 2019.
“You could see how important soft skills are in any industry and sector ... in any task that needs to be completed.”
A workplace, he added, will not be very productive without problem solving or communication skills, or effective teamwork. “Soft skills are also important for work readiness and entrepreneurship. If you run a company but cannot communicate, it will result in your demise.”
Thembinkosi Josopu (NSA Deputy Chairperson) representing - Community Constituency said soft skills can be what stands between a job seeker and employment. “If you can’t communicate, you might not be appealing as an employee,” he explained. “These are skills that many employers expect.”
An employee that can perform certain tasks, but is unable to interact with clients, manage their time or think creatively when problem solving, may be more of a liability than an asset. “This is why I believe that we must focus on foundational skills, as much as the other skills are important, because [then] we are skilling in a holistic and complete way.”
Zamokwakhe Khuzwayo (NSA Deputy Chairperson) representing - State agreed that skills development must take the whole person into account. “If we improve the [soft] skills profile of South Africans, we can shift the paradigm to a point where they can actually create new jobs and engage new players,” he said.
“Sadly, the structure of the economy was never meant to be inclusive. One way to correct this is to empower people to expand the economy — from the auntie who bakes goods from home and supplies them to the corner spaza shop, allowing her to sell to the big multinational retailer, to the person producing resin for mining operations who is now empowered to export their products.”
Khuzwayo said an entrepreneurial spirit is important, adding that many of the top soft skills identified tie in directly to their relevance in 4IR: emotional intelligence, social skills, analysis, and the ability to deal with big data and see the bigger picture. Also important, he said, are self management, time management, emotional
intelligence and problem solving.
Khani Mhlongo (NSA Member ) representing - Employment Services said: “Skills that immediately come to mind are critical thinking skills, communication skills, the ability to assimilate information and then, of course, creativity and innovation. Employers are seeking innovative candidates who can think outside the box and come in to co-create new ideas that organisations had never even considered!”
Qualifications are good, she said, but the people who shine are those who can apply themselves, think through situations, engage with others and learn to collaborate. After all, nobody works in a vacuum.
Lazelle van Kramberg (NSA Deputy Chairperson) representing - Organised Labour said: “Worker education must speak to the whole holistic role that a worker has to play in his community and in a society, which will in turn help the company, because the more holistic employee is a more productive employee.”
Change management skills and adaptability are important to foster, said Thandeka Masondo (NSA Deputy Chairperson) representing - Education and Training Providers. “Lifelong learning is a value that we need to promote, because this mindset is key to changing the culture of workplaces and of workers.”
Commitment to this learning process is vital, along with commitment, accountability and personal performance management. Soft skills development should tie into the personal and professional values that underpin them.
“Soft skills speak less to the brain and more to the heart, and are important to entrench to make the workplace and the world a better place.” This, she said, requires a systems-thinking approach. “I need to ask myself what it is that I’m doing, and what bearing it has on the next person and within the value chain. What is it that I am doing that will change the life of someone one day?”