This book examines how industry-desired employability skills-or "soft skills"-are taught and learned in high school career and technical education (CTE) engineering and engineering technology programs. Identifying, recruiting, and keeping workers with strong personal and interpersonal skills is a constant challenge for STEM employers who need to hire young workers to replace an aging technical workforce. To answer the call, teachers interviewed explained that they maintain regimented daily classroom routines that include individual and small group hands-on activities and projects. In turn, their students explain learning personal responsibility, work ethic, teamwork, leadership, conflict management, and social skills in the classroom. Narratives from the workforce and classroom interweave to put employability skills frameworks into action.

Autorentext

Will Tyson is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of South Florida, USA. His research examines interpersonal and structural influences on science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) educational and career pathways out of high schools, community colleges, and four-year universities. He specializes in mixed methods research.

Klappentext

This book examines how industry-desired employability skillsor soft skillsare taught and learned in high school career and technical education (CTE) engineering and engineering technology programs. Identifying, recruiting, and keeping workers with strong personal and interpersonal skills is a constant challenge for STEM employers who need to hire young workers to replace an aging technical workforce. To answer the call, teachers interviewed explained that they maintain regimented daily classroom routines that include individual and small group hands-on activities and projects. In turn, their students explain learning personal responsibility, work ethic, teamwork, leadership, conflict management, and social skills in the classroom. Narratives from the workforce and classroom interweave to put employability skills frameworks into action.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Employability Skills in the 21st Century Workforce2. Background and Methodology3. Core Elements of Work Ethic4. Flexibility and Interpersonal Skills5. Personal Responsibility and Work Ethic6. Interpersonal Skills7. Projects and Activities that Promote Employability Skills8. Eyes Toward the Future