Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary
Education – Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation
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What are soft skills?
Why are they important?
Making it “real” for students
Business Networking / Employer Relationships
 Internships
 On-the-Job Training
 Tax Incentives
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Resources
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Vocational Rehabilitation
Missouri Career Centers / MERIC
Resume Development
ODEP – Office of Disability Employment Policy
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Appropriate Behavior
Appropriate Dress/Appearance
Personal Hygiene
Timeliness
Respect for Co-workers
Respect for Supervisors
Appropriate Communication
Taking on Responsibility
Problem Solving
 The three “R’s” are fundamental, but
Employers view “soft” skills as even
more important skills.
 Professionalism or work ethic
 Oral and written communication
 Teamwork and Collaboration skills
 Critical thinking or problem solving skills
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Missouri Economic Research and Information
Center (MERIC) surveyed employers to
determine if there are gaps between their needs
and the applicants seeking employment. The
greatest discrepancies were noted in soft skills.
The top four shortcomings of applicants were:
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Lack of a positive attitude
Poor Work Ethic
Poor Customer Service Skills
Poor Communication skills
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Interpersonal Skills
Habits (Punctuality/Good Hygiene)
Managing Time Wisely
Acquiring/Using Information
Leadership
Specific Technical Skills
Computer Literacy
94%
94%
88%
85%
65%
52%
48%
 Based on NOW Jobs – Entry Level – which account for 94%
of the available openings.
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Safety – Being conscientious about safety practices
Courtesy – with co-workers and customers
Honesty Reliability – Does what they say they will do
Flexibility – The ability to adapt to change
Team skills – Working together for a common goal
Eye contact – Signifies confidence and truth
Communication skills – Ability to speak clearly
Educational System
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Advocacy
 IEP team
 Parents
Illness
 Parents call school
 Educators prepare
assignments
Planning/Problem solving
 IEP team
 Parents
 Educators
World of Work
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Advocacy
 Student/Employee must
explain their needs
Illness
 Employee calls in
 Employee must make up
missed work
Planning/Problem Solving
 Employee must manage time
 Employee must pursue help
 Employee must be
independent
Educational System
 Time off
 Christmas Break
 Summer Break
 Early dismissal days
 Shorter school day
 Monday - Friday
World of Work
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Time off
 2 weeks off / one year
of employment
 Christmas Day Off
 8am to 5pm – 12:00
to 9pm – 7pm to 4am
 Weekends?
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Teach the skills – What do the skills “look like?”
Make it real –
 Mirror, “Would you hire me?”
 Dress for an interview
 Have students present a five minute commercial
advertising themselves
 Ask businesses to speak in the classroom
 Make courtesy part of the expectations of the class
 Have students plan and present at IEP meetings
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Have the Student contact their Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor with questions, rather than going through the
teacher.
Have students initiate contacts with other adult service
providers.
Informational telephone interviews can help students learn to
speak with employers and/or adults outside the classroom.
Fill out blank applications
Create a “cheat sheet” which includes reference names and
numbers, etc.
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Invite businesses or student family members to
do a mock interview with a student they don’t
know.
Record a staged interview and stop as it plays
along to point out key items – Bad example
followed by a corrected example
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Eye Contact
Clarity of speaking
Attitude
Willingness to learn
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Have students role play potential responses to
situations like observing someone cheating
Provide a list of potential interview questions and
have students complete their responses for
homework
Dress for an interview and
 Provide feedback
 How many earrings are too many?
 Suggestive vs. professional clothing
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Who wants to be a Success?
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Job skills made into a game for young people
Formulate questions relevant to interviewing,
appropriate work behavior
Decision making
Problem solving
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