VietNamNet Bridge – When declaring the standard quality of graduates, all schools mention the standards on soft skills. However, in fact, the schools have not paid attention to teach soft skills to students.

Soft skills taught just in extracurricular subject

Dr Le Thi Thanh Mai, Head of the Students’ Affair Division of the HCM City National University, admitted that most of the member schools of the school reserve one or two hours only to teach soft skills to students at the extracurricular activities held at the beginning of every school year.

Dr Phan Ngoc Minh, Head of the Training Division of the HCM City Banking University, also said that soft skills are not listed in the formal curriculum. At the school, communication skills are taught which cover just 2-3 credits. Meanwhile, graduates, besides professional knowledge, also need soft skills for their works.

“I have realized that not only university students, but postgraduates are also very weak at soft skills, especially the skill for writing. At least, students need to be practiced to write correctly,” he said.

Dr Nguyen Tien Dung, Head of the Training Division of the HCM City University for Technical Education, admitted that the school has not paid much attention to teaching soft skills so far. “I believe that it is necessary to teach soft skills at formal curriculum,” he said.

At some other schools, soft skill classes have been opened, but the admission is not free. Those students, who want to join the classes, have to pay money.

Curricular rebuilt

In recent years, employers have continuously complained about the training quality of universities. They said the graduates lack necessary knowledge that is useful in their jobs. Most of the companies said graduates have to be retrained at the companies before they officially take jobs. Especially, the employers have complained that university graduates do not have soft skills, which makes their job boring and unbearable.

Therefore, schools have been trying to fix the problems.

According to Dr Mai, the HCM City National University is building up the plan on teaching soft skill at the school, which is expected to be implemented in the 2012-2013 school year.

Mai said that the school would provide some 5-10 basic skills depending on the career. For example, the skills of making presentation and marketing would fit economics students, while the skills of reading, writing and dealing with concrete circumstances would be necessary for the students of social sciences.

Also according to Mai, it is very likely that soft skills would be listed as optional objects which students can register to study during the years at the school. Meanwhile, soft skills would be brought into formal curriculum, but the teaching would cover only 45 periods (45 minutes per period). The teaching would provide basic knowledge which helps students in practice hours and use the skills in extracurricular activities.

Minh of the HCM City Academy has also informed that the school is considering restructuring the curricula and adding soft skills into the curricula as optional subjects.

Meanwhile, Dung of the HCM City University of Technical Education, said that the school is considering rebuilding up the new standards on the qualifications of university graduates. The school would require higher self-study level of students by shortening the curriculums from 180 credits to 150 credits.

Especially, the school would put soft skills into the formal curriculums of the school.

From the 2012-2013 school year, the school would apply a new curriculum, including a module introducing the career (3 credits) which would help students understand better about their careers, professional skills and soft skills as well. The module would be taught right in the first semester of the training courses.

Source: Tien phong