subject: New Survey Reveals Graduate Soft Skills As Important As Sector Specific Computer Skills [print this page] A new survey has shown that graduate soft skills are just as important to employers as sector specific computer skills.
The report went on to highlight that companies believe the following are most important when recruiting for their businesses:
98% - Work well in a team.
97% - Adapt to new situations.
96% - Communication skills.
67% - Knowledge of foreign languages.
The majority of companies with considerable international business identified knowledge of foreign languages as the most important skill for the future.
The European commission for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and youth, Androulla Vassiliou says These results clearly show that employers value a wide mix of specific and broad-based skills. The Commission's new initiatives, Youth on the Move and New Skills and Jobs, are focused on helping Europeans to identify and gain the qualifications and skills required in the job market. We are committed to supporting Member States' efforts to improve higher and vocational education, as well as promoting opportunities for study and work abroad. This experience gives young people the very skills that employers appreciate most."
The advantages of understanding better the needs of businesses; European education and employment policies can be shaped to help provide these skills for businesses. Interestingly enough the Eurobarometer survey shows that work experience was deemed more important by 87% of recruiters.
