Soft Skills Laboratory

Team members: Todd Chumley, Charlene Doctor, Bennie Harris, Shelly McMillan, Marilyn Nguyen, Betsy Sikma, JD Whitt, Claudia Winkler

According to the 2024 South Carolina School Report Card, while 85% of students are graduating on time, only 30% of graduating seniors are considered both college and career ready. While some components of that measure are tied to more traditional academic abilities and standards, students’ interpersonal skills, work ethic, and other soft skills factor into this readiness evaluation (see the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate for skills measured in readiness assessments).

The Soft Skills Laboratory was created to help rising and recent graduates receive direct instruction about workplace skills that are often not explicitly taught. These skills are often learned from professional parents or through internships and direct work experience, but many rising and recent graduates have never had such experiences or exposures. Furthermore, there are clear generational divides in terms of workplace expectations. The Soft Skills Laboratory is designed to address these gaps directly, helping young people have a smoother transition into their eventual careers.

Specifically, the Soft Skills Laboratory highlights expectations and practical tips in four key areas: communications, business etiquette, time management, and personal brand. The presentations focus on universal workplace expectations, as well as highlight industry-specific norms. Each unit includes an interactive or hands-on element to help participants better understand the concepts being discussed.

The Soft Skills Laboratory was piloted with a total of 10 students representing rising seniors from Spartanburg High School and underclassmen at University of South Carolina Upstate. Students were identified by counselors and student-facing staff as participants that would most benefit from the session, and they were treated to a bonus lunch and dining etiquette crash course as part of the experience.

To ensure the Soft Skills Laboratory is updated and aligned with the student and workforce needs moving forward, maintenance, further development, and expansion of the curriculum as well as its application will be carried out in partnership with Spartanburg Academic Movement and OneSpartanburg, Inc.

The Soft Skills Laboratory materials will be made available through the Spartanburg Academic Movement for use in other schools and settings.