Understanding, Learning and Improving Soft Skills for Employability

A PROJECT ON SOFT SKILLS

Soft skills, according to ESCO’s (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) definition, are the cornerstone for the personal development of a person; the building blocks for the development of the “hard” skills and competences required to succeed in the labour market. Success in the labour market is seen to be more and more dependent upon possessing the hybrid skills – technical and soft skills – that employers increasingly value. Soft skills can be distinguished into personal and interpersonal skills or interpersonal qualities and personal attributes that one possesses. This conceptualises soft skills in somewhat abstract terms and characterises them as innate. The idea on which this project is based sees soft skills as having “hard” component, which makes it possible to develop them by learning to use appropriate tools, procedures and methods.

A PROJECT
ON SOFT SKILLS

Soft skills, according to ESCO’s (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) definition, are the cornerstone for the personal development of a person; the building blocks for the development of the “hard” skills and competences required to succeed in the labour market. Success in the labour market is seen to be more and more dependent upon possessing the hybrid skills – technical and soft skills – that employers increasingly value. Soft skills can be distinguished into personal and interpersonal skills or interpersonal qualities and personal attributes that one possesses. This conceptualises soft skills in somewhat abstract terms and characterises them as innate. The idea on which this project is based sees soft skills as having “hard” component, which makes it possible to develop them by learning to use appropriate tools, procedures and methods.

“The ULISSE Project has the ambitious goal of unveiling the true nature of soft skills”

Partners

The University of Pisa, funded in 1343, is a public institution with a long tradition, deeply rooted in its territory and fully integrated into the international scientific community.

It has twenty departments, covering all main areas of teaching and research.

Erre Quadro s.r.l. is an Italian consulting and R&D company, specialized in the development of algorithms and software for the automatic analysis of technical texts, in particular patents, with the aim of supporting the enterprises in their needs for intellectual property protection, foresight studies, knowledge management & retrieval, business intelligence and strategic intelligence.

The Polytechnic Institute of Porto is the largest polytechnic in the country, placed in the upper segment of the higher education national ranking.

P.Porto involves 8 schools, more than 20 R&D units, and is the best positioned in international scientific rankings in Portugal.

The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) is a public university, offering prestigious education, excellent research, and quality services facilitating the comprehensive development of its students and their insertion into the labor market.

The University of Latvia (UL) was founded in 1919 and currently with more than 14 000 students, 13 faculties and more than 20 research institutes and independent study centres is one of the largest comprehensive and leading research universities in the Baltics.

The University of Pisa, funded in 1343, is a public institution with a long tradition, deeply rooted in its territory and fully integrated into the international scientific community.

It has twenty departments, covering all main areas of teaching and research.

Erre Quadro s.r.l. is an Italian consulting and R&D company, specialized in the development of algorithms and software for the automatic analysis of technical texts, in particular patents, with the aim of supporting the enterprises in their needs for intellectual property protection, foresight studies, knowledge management & retrieval, business intelligence and strategic intelligence.

The Polytechnic Institute of Porto is the largest polytechnic in the country, placed in the upper segment of the higher education national ranking.

P.Porto involves 8 schools, more than 20 R&D units, and is the best positioned in international scientific rankings in Portugal.

The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) is a public university, offering prestigious education, excellent research, and quality services facilitating the comprehensive development of its students and their insertion into the labor market.

The University of Latvia (UL) was founded in 1919 and currently with more than 14 000 students, 13 faculties and more than 20 research institutes and independent study centres is one of the largest comprehensive and leading research universities in the Baltics.