Flexing Those Soft Skill Muscles: Work Readiness in College Students

Abstract

Work readiness in college students not only adds to the marketability of a student, but they gain

different skills over time from programs within their universities, extra circulative activities,

internships and other experiential learning experiences, ultimately making them more valuable

and experienced when they enter the professional work setting. These activities have been known

to provide hard skills for their disciplines. However, it is not clear from the literature what soft

skills are being cultivated, and if students see the value in these skills. Therefore, this present

quantitative study explores how these activities prepare students to be active and ready for the

workplace regarding soft job skills, and the level of importance students place on these skills

(N=264). This information is important due to the nature of the job market and the impact that

soft skills bring to a prospective workplace environment. It also helps define how institutions can

implement new polices and requirements to get students more workplace read.

Keywords: Soft Skills, Work Readiness , Skill Cultivation, Importance, Skill Recognition
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Introduction

This present quantitative study examines the attitudes towards what “soft” skills students learned

to be active and ready for the workplace, where they learned these skills, and the level of

importance students place on these skills. These skills ultimately make student more valuable

and experienced when they are entering into the professional work setting. This study provides

relevant and useful information considering the importance soft skills have in the modern work

place environment.

This study will help with the understanding of undergraduate students and their acquirement and

self-recognition of soft skills that prepare them for the workplace. It would help to evaluate

programs that students are in when looking at how work ready a student is based off their self-

reported knowledge of soft skills. Finally, it would help students understand that their time spent

in a collegiate program offers them many opportunities to expand the soft skill set that makes a

marketable prospect in the job market.

Review of Literature

The environment in which graduating college students is currently changing and they rely on

educators to keep them up to date on what the knowledge, both hard and soft skills, they will

need to be successful in the workplace. (Beard, Dana Schwieger & Surendran, 2008). While it is

known that academic and extracurricular activities provide hard skills for the respective

disciplines, it is not clear from the literature what soft skills are being cultivated, nor if students

see the importance in these skills (Andrews & Higson, 2008). Soft skills are defined as being

“personality traits, goals, motivations, and preferences that are valued in the labor market, in
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school, and in many other domains.” (Heckman & Kautz, 2012) Skills include:

Basic/Fundamental, Conceptual/Thinking, Business, Community, People, and Non-technical

Skills. (Robles, 2012)

Basic/Funadmental Conceptual/Thinking
Business Skills
Skills Skills
• Technical skills for the • Planning Ability • Innovation
profession • Collecting Information • Enterprise
• Hands on ablilty • Organizing • Motivat others
• Knowelge of task Information • Correct tool selection
• Mathmatical skills • Problem Solving
• Listening Skill

Community Skills People Skills Non-Technical Skills

•Citizen knowledge •Writing skills •Integrity

•Civic mindedness •Verbal communication •Professionalism
•Teamwork •Reliability
•Resolve differences •Coping with Uncertainty
•Negotiate differences •Working under pressure
•Strategic planning
•Technoligy Skills
•Creativity
•Positive attitude
•Work ethic
•Self-confidence
•Self-managment
•Willingness to learn
•Willingness to responsi

Figure 1: Categories and lists of soft skills used within the study.

When soft skills are being taught in the classroom, it needs to be sold to students in a way that

students will buy in to the importance of having the skill (Bancino & Zevalkink, 2007). Often,

students tend to think in a narrow focus of their discipline and do not understand the education

that is not task oriented, otherwise referred to as the hard skills or technical skills (Bancino &

Zevalkink, 2007). Real world examples that are related to the area of study help students
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understand the importance of the soft skill set, it helps show the relationship and balance

between the hard and soft skill sets in the workplace (Bancino & Zevalkink, 2007). Once the

value and importance of soft skills sets are established within the students, the material must be

presented in a way that fits the narrow focus view that students have of their discipline (Bancino

& Zevalkink, 2007). This narrow focus is referred to as a liner focus, however, once the basics of

the skill are understood there can be a shift to a non-linear technique (Bancino & Zevalkink,

2007). This non-linear technique helps students understand ideas that a traditional learning

exercise, such as note taking, cannot provide (Bancino & Zevalkink, 2007). This non-linear

focus on teaching helps students apply the knowledge of the soft skill and creates a learned

behavior (Bancino & Zevalkink, 2007). This practice also derives from project-based learning,

an interdisciplinary approach, designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice skills

in situations where they are needed for success (Vogler, 2018).

Project-based experiential learning will create an environment where soft skills are naturally

needed and arise, again putting them into practice (Vogler, 2018). This adds a new area of

success outside of the classroom providing integration of hard and soft skills (Vogler, 2018).

According to the SCANS report in 1991, it was found that skills were learned on the job,

extracurricular activities and through general experience (Rosenberg & Heimler & Morote,

2012). The cultivation of soft skills plays an important role in the readiness for the workplace.

When students are provided the experience to cultivate soft skills, it could be the difference

between being hired for the job or having a career sink due to the lack of skills needed to

compete with in the workplace and be successful with job functions (Robles, 2012). The way

students learn during their time in a higher education program is critical because these soft skills
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are needed and wanted to be successful in the workplace and must compliment the hard-technical

skills that are learned (Robles, 2012).

Research Questions

RQ 1: Where are respondents gaining soft skill knowledge?

RQ 2: What differences are there regarding skill recognition between experiences?

RQ 3: What level of importance is placed on soft skills regarding being workplace ready?

RQ 4: What variables affect the cultivation of soft skills?

Method

This study was completed through an experimental survey design (appendix 1). Various

demographic characteristics, work skills, and attitudes towards their expertise level regarding

various work skills, as well as where they learned the skills. The survey was created on Qualtrics

and uploaded to Mechanical Turk, an online survey host where respondents take surveys for

money. Participants were awarded $0.20 for their participation in the study.

Procedure

After the creation, a pre-test was completed of the survey. This pre-test revealed that that survey

would help answer the research questions. This study adhered to the American Psychological

Association guidelines. Participants who took part in the study were informed that they could

have withdrawn at any time without penalty. Before completion of the survey, participants will

be asked to read and agree to a consent statement. After indicating agreement, participants will
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participate in the survey. The participants’ survey responses will not include identifying

information.

Once the survey was created on Qualtrics’s, an online survey software, it was uploaded to

Mechanical Turk, the participants were asked questions Participants answered questions

concerning relatability of work beyond specific discipline, their level of expertise regarding these

skills, and where they may have learned the skills. Finally, they were randomly assigned into one

of four experimental conditions. These conditions included a classroom lecture, a group project,

an individual project or an internship. Once the data was collected, IBM SPSS Statistic software

was used to run statistical analyses of the data. Tests such as one-way ANOVAS, T-tests,

crosstabulations and frequencies were used to do a preliminary analysis and final analysis of the

data set.

Research Setting

The study was completed through an online survey, created with Qualtrics and uploaded to

Amazon Mechanical Turk. Mechanical Turk is a crowdsourcing marketplace. This enabled the

researchers to collect information and encourage survey participation. The study was completed

on the participants personal computer at any time of their choosing until the survey was closed.

Variables

In this study, the dependent variables are the soft skills that are developed. These skills include

the Basic/Fundamental, Conceptual/Thinking, Business, Community, People, and Non-technical

Skills. The independent variables are the demographics of age, gender, location, ethnicity,
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education level, disciplines, and school type. These variables helped to define differences

between skill development among the respondents.

Findings

The survey was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Based on the research, there are differences

in where people say they learned soft skills and where they feel they would learn them from the

experimental design. There were statistically significant differences found between

demographics and skills such as gender and ethnicity. The data was analyzed by using

frequencies, One-way ANOVAS, T-Tests and crosstabulations.

Demographics

Participants of the survey were asked to disclose demographical information. The

demographics were broken up by Characteristic Educational

Demographics Demographics
characteristic demographics of the
• Age • Education Level
individual and education demographics. • Gender • Disciplines
• Location • School Type
The respondents were asked about the • Ethnicity

demographics listed in the illustration. Figure 2: Demographical information

Age of Respondents
35%
From the survey results, 56 percent 30%
25% 30%
identified as male and the remaining 44
20%
15% 18%
percent as female. When asked about 17% 17%
10%
location, respondents could answer as 5% 8%
4% 6%
0%
being in an urban or rural location. From 18-21 22-25 26-29 30-33 34-37 38-41 42+
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the survey results, 62 percent reported being in an urban location, where 38 percent reported

being in a rural location. Participants of the

Ethnicity of Respondents
study ranged from age 18-42+. The graph
Other 5%
named “Age of Respondents” displays the
Asian 12%

Native American/Alaka Native 3% percentages of the different age groupings

African American 13% among survey respondents. The leading age

Caucasian 67%
grouping of respondents were 22-25-year-
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
olds, totaling 30 percent of respondents.

Finally, the leading ethnicity among respondents were Caucasians, totaling 67 percent. The

graph named “Ethnicity of Respondents” displays the percentages of the different ethnicities

among survey respondents.

From the survey results, most of the respondents are within the business discipline, totaling 49

percent. The graph named “Disciplines of Respondents” displays the percentages of disciplines

Disciplines of Respondents among the respondents. Respondents

Performing Arts 1% were asked to identify their education

Humanities 10%
level, this ranged from a high school
Natural and Applied Sciences 16%
Visual Arts 6% diploma/GED to a Doctoral Degree.
Social Sciences 18%
If the respondent was still in school,
Business 49%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% they were able to give their respected
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year. Among the respondents, a

Education Level of Respondents
bachelor’s degree was leading, totaling 50%
40%
44%
to be 44 percent of survey respondents. 30%
20%
The graph named “Education Level of 10%
3% 8% 8% 10% 8% 15% 3% 1%
0%
Respondents” displays the percentages

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Recognition of Skills After Treatments

As mentioned in the method, the participants were randomly assigned into one of four

experimental conditions. These conditions included a classroom lecture, a group project, an

individual project or an internship. After reading the scenario, the respondents were asked to

identify which skills they think would be learned. After running a One-Way ANOVA, a

statistically significant difference was found between the recognition of ethics and learning
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experiences. The differences were found between independent project (M=4.1, SD=1.1) and

classroom lectures (M=3.6, SD=0.7). This data explains that respondents reported agreeing that

they learned the ethics skill from independent projects, but reported being neutral to learning the

skill from classroom lectures. A statistically significant difference was also found between the

recognition of responsibility and learning experiences. The differences were found between

internships (M=4.0, SD=0.9), independent projects (M=4.1, SD=0.9), and classroom lectures

(M=3.6, SD=1.1.). This data explains that respondents reported agreeing that they learned the

responsibility skill from independent projects and internships, but reported being neutral to

learning the skill from classroom lectures.

Levels of Importance

Frequencies were used to look at the level of importance that respondents placed on soft skills.

The three leading skills that were rated as being important skills were srategic planning, working

under pressure, and integrity. The three leading skills that were rated as being very important

were work ethic, willingness to learn, and willingness to accept responsibility. The graph named

“Skill Importance” depicts the percentage of the three leading skills from each category.

When running a crosstabulation on the data of the listed top three skills found to be very

important skills, which were work ethic, willingness to learn, and willingness to accept

responsibility, the age range of 22-25. The willingness to accept responsibility skill was also

found to be most important by the age group of 42+. When looking at gender, females found the

skills of work ethic and willingness to learn to be more important than males. Males found the

skill of accepting responsibility to be more important than females. Caucasians found the three
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skills to be the most important across the ethnicities. The respondents who identify within the

business discipline found the three skills to be the most important across the listed disciplines.

Those who have obtained a bachelor’s degree have found the three skills to be the most

important. The respondents who attended a large public school found the three skills to be the

most important compared to the other school types. Finally, those who are located in an urban

setting have found the skills to be more important than those who live in a rural setting. Tables

can be found in the appendix (appendix 2).

Self-Reported Skill Cultivation

Referring to the setup of the survey, respondents were asked to self-assess whether or not they

had a specific soft skill and they reported were they learned the skill. After running a One-Way

ANOVA, there were many statically significant differences found. They were found for the skills

of integrity, professionalism, reliability, working under pressure and willingness to learn.

For the integrity skill, there was a statistically significant difference found between a real job

(M=4.3, SD=.74), experiential learning (M=3.69, SD=.74), traditional work (M=3.85, SD=1.1),

and project based work (M=3.64, SD=1.06). For the professionalism skill, there was a

statistically significant difference found between experiential learning (M=3.57, SD=.96) and a

real job (M=4.27, SD=.82). The data revealed a statistically significant difference between

experiential learning (M=3.55, SD=1.0) and a real job (M=4.22, SD=.91) regarding the

reliability skill. When looking at working under pressure, there was a statistically significant

difference between experiential learning (M=3.42, SD=1.0) and a real job (M=4.16, SD=.81).

Finally, when analyzing the willingness to learn skill, there was a statistically significant
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difference found between a real job (M=4.4, SD=.75) and experiential learning (M=3.7,

SD=.97).

After running multiple frequency tests on the data, skills are being cultivated heavily on

the job and in traditional learning settings across all skill types. This is shown in the

various bar charts found in the appendix (appendix 3).

Variables Effecting the Cultivation of Soft Skills

After running a T-test and a One-Way ANOVA, there were statistically significant differences

found. After running a T-test, I found a statistically significant difference between males and

females and the cultivation of skills. These skills include working under pressure, work ethic,

willingness to accept responsibility, and self-management. Males reported being neutral to the

cultivation of working under pressure (M=3.8, SD=1.0), work ethic (M=3.8, SD=1.0),

willingness to accept responsibility (M=3.8, SD=0.90), and self-management (M=3.8, SD=1.0).

Females reported agreeing that they had cultivated the skills of working under pressure (M=4.0,

SD=0.98), work ethic (M=4.1, SD=0.97), willingness to accept responsibility (M=4.1, SD=0.95),

and self-management (M=4.0, SD=1.0).

After running a One-Way ANOVA, I found a statistically significant difference between

ethnicity concerning the cultivation of the integrity soft skill. Caucasians reported being neutral

to cultivation of the integrity skill (M=3.6, SD=1.0). African Americans reported agreeing that

they have cultivated the integrity skill (M=4.2, SD=0.85).

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Discussion

With soft skills becoming more important in the work place, students need a focus and balance

of hard and soft skills in the classroom. As discussed in the review of literature, “it is known that

academic and extracurricular activities provide hard skills for the respective disciplines”

(Andrews & Higson, 2008). However, it was not clear if students saw the importance, could

recognize the cultivation, or where they gained the skills, they need to be successful in the

workplace. Looking at the findings, it can be said that students are neutral to the idea that these

skills are learned from the classroom. That report is concerning the recognition of skills from the

randomized scenarios. On the self-reported knowledge, it should be noted that the skills are

being learned from “traditional methods”. Traditional methods should be considered classroom

lectures, textbooks and homework not including larger and involved projects.

When looking specifically at the cultivation of skills, through the treatments it was found that

most people agreed that they learned these skills in a real job setting along with experiential

learning, which mimics the real job in the classroom with instructor guidance. However, when

asked to self-report the survey results revealed traditional learning was the primary location of

soft skill cultivation. This highlights a gap in the classroom if respondents are perceived to have

learned skills on the job and through experiential learning but reported learning them from

traditional teaching methods. This could be answered by the structure that the respondent was

offered in the classroom during their education. This means that experiential learning may have

not been offered to all disciplines like traditional learning is within the classroom. Future

research or a repeat of this study could include what type of education the respondent received,

so a comparison could be conducted against the different categories of learning.

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From prior research, it is understood that students feel that skills are learned on the job,

extracurricular activities and through general experiences (Rosenberg & Heimler & Morote,

2012). This directly links to the findings of the present study. This brings attention to the

importance of giving students the opportunity to experience different classroom environments

that will help them to break the narrow technical focus that most students have when learning.

Furthering pushing the importance of soft skills through experiences that makes the need for the

naturally arise, displaying the value to the student. Once this skill is used, it should be pointed

out that the skill was utilized so it can become the learned behavior as mentioned previously. If

a graduate entering the workplace is going to be successful, they need to have obtained a skill set

prior to the start of a career. According to earlier research, there is a skill gap between the

completion of higher education and the workplace (Robles, 2012). This gap is also shown

through the survey results from the experimental design and a prior literature review of the

cultivation of soft skills.

Overall, this research helped to display what skills are gained through a higher education

curriculum, including classroom/traditional learning, experiential learning, project-based work

and internship-based work. From the data, it can be concluded that people learn skills from all

different structures. However, it can also be concluded that people are more likely to learn skills

from experiential learning over traditional learning, based on the results from the experimental

design. This calls to question the way that students are taught in the classroom and shows the

importance of a varied classroom experience between multiple structures of learning. These

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varied structures will help students gain the skills to be successful and competitive within the

workplace environment.

Limitations

By using Mechanical Turk to gather survey responses there could be a bias from the respondents.

There was a compensation of $0.20 for the completion of the survey. Respondents could have

gone through and answered questions to receive the compensation without answering the

questions truthfully. However, this could have occurred even if the survey was not distributed

through Mechanical Turk. There is no true way to fully eliminate bias and untruthful answers

from the respondents of any survey. This study was designed for people who are currently or

have been enrolled within a higher education institution. The questions ask specifically about

their experiences from higher education institutions. However, this survey was distributed on a

server that allowed anyone to take it, so there is an understanding that some respondents may not

have had the background the survey calls for. Many of the respondents also fell within the

business discipline and other demographic categories, making the data skewed when running

statistical tests, such as crosstabulations.

Future Research

Further research should be completed to examine the connections between soft skills and the

places of origin. This expanded research should have a focus on the structure of the classroom

that the student has or has had. include looking into the type of education respondents received.

This will help understand if there is a difference between the different models of the classroom

and the soft skill knowledge.

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References

Andrews J. & Higson H. (2008). Graduate Employability, ‘Soft Skills’ Versus

’Hard’ Business Knowledge: A European Study. Higher Education in Europe. 33(4).

DOI: 10.1080/03797720802522627

Bancino, R. & Sevalkink, C. (2007). Soft Skills: The New Curriculum for Hard-

Core Technical Professionals. Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers (J1).

82(5). Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ764824

Beard, D., Schwieger, D. & Surendran, K. (2008). Integrating Soft Skills

Assessment through University, College, and Programmatic Efforts at an AACSB

Accredited Institution. Journal of Information Systems Education. 19(2). Retrieved from:

http://jise.org/volume19/n2/JISEv19n2p229.html

Heckman, J.J. & Kautz, T. (2008). Hard Evidence on Soft Skills. Labour

Economics. 19. DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2012.05.014

Robles M.M. (2012). Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in

Today’s Workplace. Business Communication Quarterly. 75(4). DOI:

10.1177/1080569912460400

Rosenber, S., Heimler, R. & Morote, E. (2012). Basic employability skills: a

triangular design approach. Education and Training. 54(1). DOI:

10.1108/00400911211198869
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Vogler, J. S, Thompson, P., Davis, D.W., Mayfield, B.E., Finley, P.M & Yasseri,

D. (2018). The hard work of soft skills: augmenting the project-based learning experience

with interdisciplinary teamwork. Instructional Science. 46(3). DOI: 10.1007/s11251-017-

9438-9.
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Appendix 1
Skill Value Perception

Discipline Specific Generalizable

Basic/fundamental skills Very Slightly Neither Slightly Very
Conceptual/thinking skills
Business skills
Community skills
People-related skills
Professionalism
Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence

Skills Importance Perceptions

Five-point scale ranging from 1 to 5 with “1” indicating that the characteristic was “not important” and “5” indicating that the
characteristic was “extremely important” in the workplace.

Basic/fundamental skills Technical skills for the profession

Hands on ability
Knowledge of task
Mathematical Skills
Listening Skills

Conceptual/thinking skills Planning ability

Collecting information
Organizing ability
Problem solving

Business skills Innovation

Enterprise
Motivate Others
Select correct tool for situation

Community skills Citizen Knowledge

Civic mindedness

People-related skills Writing skills

Verbal communication
Teamwork
Networking
Resolve Differences
Negotiate differences
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Non-Technical Skills
Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

*are considered soft skills

Skills Received & Where Perceptions

Five-point scale ranging from 1 to 5 with “1” indicating that “I strongly disagree” and “5” indicating that the respondent
“strongly agrees” that she or she has this individual skill.

Category I have theses skill Where Gained

Basic/fundamental skills Technical skills for the profession
Hands on ability
Knowledge of task
Mathematical Skills
Listening Skills

Conceptual/thinking skills Planning ability

Collecting information
Organizational information
Problem solving

Business skills Innovation

Enterprise
Motivate Others
Select correct tool for situation

Community skills Citizen Knowledge

Civic mindedness

People-related skills Writing skills

Verbal communication
Teamwork
Networking
Resolve Differences
Negotiate differences

Soft Skills
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Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

Skills Needed Skills Received Where Gained

Basic/fundamental skills Basic/fundamental skills I have no proficiency
Conceptual/thinking skills Conceptual/thinking skills Family
Business skills Business skills University Lectures
Community skills Community skills Textbooks
People-related skills People-related skills Individual Project Work
Non -Technical Skills Soft Skills Group Project Work
Competitions
*For Coding Purposes Internships
Travel Courses
Other

Manipulations/Conditions

Scenario 1: Classroom Lecture

Your professor is lecturing during class. The lecture includes a presentation from the professor and note taking
(hand written or typed). The topic of the lecture is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

- The lecture begins with the professor asking a series of questions about the topic.
- The professor gives relevant examples on the topic.
- Each student then gives an example on the topic.
- The lecture focuses on the main ideas of the topic.

Please indicate your level of agreement regarding if the situation may have taught participants in the scenario of the
skills listed below on a scale of 1-5 with 1” indicating that “I strongly disagree” and “5” indicating that the respondent
“strongly agrees”

Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
 Egan 21

Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

Scenario 2: Internship

You recently got an internship at an agency in Boston. Your duties are as follows:
- Establish strategies to enhance our presence in the Boston community
- Manage social media accounts with eye-catching contents
- Advertise our agency to potential customers
- Work closely with the head employees to follow up on possible leads and current events
- Write the weekly blog article and company news letter
- Take photos of events we host and potentially clients we manage
- Maintain the website for events.

Please indicate your level of agreement regarding if the students were learning any of the skills listed below on a
scale of 1-5 with 1” indicating that “I strongly disagree” and “5” indicating that the respondent “strongly agrees”

Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

Scenario 3: Group Work

Your professor gives you a group project. The instructions are as follows:

- Create a group of four to five students.

- Research and write a literature review on a topic of your choice.
- Create a survey and survey at least 100 people on the chosen topic.
- Analyze the survey results and draw conclusions.
- Write a report explaining your research.
- Create a presentation highlighting the major parts of your findings.
- Present your findings to your class and one other individual who works in the area of your topic.
- Submit your work for grading.

Please indicate your level of agreement regarding if the students were learning any of the skills listed below on a
scale of 1-5 with 1” indicating that “I strongly disagree” and “5” indicating that the respondent “strongly agrees”

Integrity
 Egan 22

Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

Scenario 4: Individual Work

Your professor gives you an independent project. The instructions are as follows:

- Research and write a literature review on a topic of your choice.

- Create a survey and survey at least 100 people on the chosen topic.
- Analyze the survey results and draw conclusions.
- Write a report explaining your research.
- Create a presentation highlighting the major parts of your findings.
- Present your findings to your class and one other individual who works in the field.
- Submit your work for grading.

Please indicate your level of agreement regarding if the students were learning any of the skills listed below on a
scale of 1-5 with 1” indicating that “I strongly disagree” and “5” indicating that the respondent “strongly agrees”

Integrity
Professionalism
Reliability
The ability to cope with uncertainty
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to plan strategically
Technology skills
Creativity
Positive attitude
Work Ethic
Self-confidence
Self-management
Time-management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to accept responsibility

Demographics

Age
Gender
Major/Discipline
Ethnicity
Education Level/Year in school
 Egan 23

School
Country/Location
 Egan 24

Appendix 2

Skill Importance & Age 18-21 22-25 26-29 30-33 34-37 38-41 42+

Work Ethic 4% 23% 16% 18% 9% 5% 24%

Willingness to Learn 3% 25% 20% 20% 7% 6% 21%

Willingness to Accept 4% 21% 19% 20% 8% 6% 21%

Responsibility

Skill Importance & Business Social Visual Natural Humanities Performing

Discipline Sciences Arts Sciences Arts

Work Ethic 46% 18% 6% 16% 13% 2%

Willingness to Learn 48% 19% 5% 16% 11% 2%

Willingness to Accept 49% 17% 8% 14% 10% 2%

Responsibility

Skill Importance & Male Female Skill Importance & Urban Rural

Gender Location

Work Ethic 49% 51% Work Ethic 64% 36%

Willingness to Learn 48% 52% Willingness to Learn 69% 31%

Willingness to Accept 51% 49% Willingness to Accept 65% 35%

Responsibility Responsibility
 Egan 25
Skill Importance & Large Medium Small Large Medium Small International

School Type Public Public Public Private Private Private

Work Ethic 37% 30% 9% 4% 9% 10% 1%

Willingness to Learn 36% 27% 10% 5% 11% 9% 2%

Willingness to Accept 39% 20% 11% 3% 12% 12% 3%

Responsibility

Skill Importance & Associate Bachelor Master Doctoral Other

Degree Type Degree Degree Degree Degree

Work Ethic 9% 46% 20% 3% 2%

Willingness to Learn 10% 51% 14% 3% 2%

Willingness to Accept 10% 43% 17% 5% 2%

Responsibility

Skill Importance & Caucasian African Native Asian Other

Ethnicity American American

Work Ethic 65% 18% 2% 12% 4%

Willingness to Learn 66% 14% 3% 13% 5%

Willingness to Accept 66% 12% 2% 14% 6%

Responsibility
 Egan 26

Appendix 3

Skill Cultivation - Basic

45%

40% 42%

35%

30%
30%
25%

20%

15%

10% 13%
11%

5%
3% 2%
0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other

Skill Cultivation - Business

40%

35%
35%
30%

25%
25%
20%
20%
15%

10% 13%

5%
5%
3%
0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other
 Egan 27

Skill Cultivation - People

30%

27%
25%

24%

20%
21%
20%

15%

10%

5%
6%

3%
0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other

Skill Cultivation - Conceptual

35%

30%
30%
29%
25%

20%
19%
15% 17%

10%

5%

3% 2%
0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other
 Egan 28

Skill Cultivation - Non-Technical

35%

33%
30%
31%

25%

20%

15% 16%

10%
11%

5% 7%

4%
0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other

Skill Cultivation - Community

45%

40%
39%
35%

30%

25%

20%
19%
15%
16%
10%
11%
5% 8% 8%

0%
No Proficiency Traditional Project Work Experiential Real Job Other