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.

Provides examples of how industry-desired employability skills can be successfully taught and learned to prepare high school students for the local workforce Fills the gap in research on applied STEM courses that focused on the practical application of academic STEM knowledge and concepts to real world job experiences Focuses on alternative post-secondary pathways which account for delays into the workforce via the STEM track Provides concrete examples of career readiness strategies employers want to see Demonstrates how students learn personal and interpersonal skills from hands-on activities and projects

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 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.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Employability Skills in the 21st Century Workforce.- 2. Background and Methodology.- 3. Core Elements of Work Ethic.- 4. Flexibility and Interpersonal Skills.- 5. Personal Responsibility and Work Ethic.- 6. Interpersonal Skills.- 7. Projects and Activities that Promote Employability Skills.- 8. Eyes Toward the Future.-