The purpose of this article is to provide an extended case study of the development of and early outcomes of a student-run digital marketing agency. Employers are looking to hire graduates who are "work ready." In the area of digital marketing, this is especially challenging given the rapid pace of change in the industry where new…

The growing gap in soft skills among Moroccan undergraduate university students is a pressing concern. This study examined the impact of a blended learning model intervention on soft skills development in this population. A systematically chosen sample of 42 participants, selected from a pool of 400 undergraduate university students, was…

Haute couture-making techniques are critical competencies to be mastered by fashion engineering education (CEE) graduates. However, until now, many graduates have been unable to master these techniques optimally. Various studies and field phenomena confirm that they are unprepared for supporting knowledge (SK), socio-cultural, and psychological…

Purpose: The paper aims to close a literature gap by proposing a comprehensive conceptual soft skills competency framework for enhancing graduate intern employability through the cultivation of employability capital. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a theoretical inquiry and delved into the existing literature on employability, soft…

In the spring of 2021, staff from the University of Minnesota Morris participated in Fika Coffee Time gatherings, inspired by a Swedish tradition to slow down, have coffee, conversation, and a treat with friends or colleagues. As Minnesota is the state with the largest number of Swedish Americans, it has a great deal of institutions that celebrate…

The work environment has drastically changed in the last 10 years, necessitating a new look at which soft skills are most relevant in today's workplace. Because of COVID-19, organizations had to rapidly adjust where and how they work. According to the Pew Research Center, 71% of adults, who can perform their work responsibilities from home, are…

The strengthening employability paradigm within higher education has led to a situation where the practical value of liberal arts programmes is contested. While the potential for such programmes to develop valuable generic skills is recognised, critiques of liberal arts programmes centre around their loose structure and lack of clear alignment…

Purpose: In today's highly competitive global business environment, there is a growing demand for professionals who possess well-developed soft skills. Such abilities include flexibility, effective communication and other skills. Soft skills are personal attributes and qualities that are more closely related to the emotional side of human beings.…

This research aims to present a Fuzzy Expert System with psychologist expertise that seeks to assist professors, researchers and educational institutions in assessing the level of incorporation of students' Soft Skills while attending Active Learning sessions. The difficulties encountered by higher education institutions, researchers and…

In recent years, the South African basic and higher education departments have been besieged by egregious forms of violence. Although this has been a worrisome phenomenon dating back to time immemorial, of late, violence is at a very concerning and alarming level. The profusion of violence serves as an indictment to various stakeholders including…

New business graduates often have difficulty finding suitable employment in a competitive job market. Students need direct instruction for communicating their self-competence to employers. This paper highlights a practical application of mock group interviewing (MGI) and instruction over five semesters exploring multiple practice rounds of…

Purpose: With a focus on undergraduate music major students in China, the study sought to examine how higher music education institutions prepare professional knowledge, professional skills and soft skills in relevance to music students' employability. Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative survey engaged 359 music students from five music…

Internships are widely recognized within higher education as a useful work-based learning (WBL) approach to enhance student employability. However, there remains a need to understand whether internships provide a developmental experience that includes higher-level (soft) skills such as self-responsibility, flexibility and innovation. Our study…

This paper explores the skills that Hong Kong employers and graduates see as important to have in the workplace as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our data are interviews with 40 employers and 69 graduates in the territory. Using reflexive thematic analysis, our qualitative findings center around four themes. First, we highlight the necessity…

In pedagogy, it is often emphasized that we need to go beyond the traditional level of teaching and in addition to professional knowledge to integrate skills that support the acquisition of 21st century skills such as problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking, or social skills and emotional intelligence, which are highlighted in the labor…