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Sweden, a nation known for its forward-thinking spirit, has long championed the value of soft skills alongside technical expertise.
Surveys dating back to 2014 showed a strong national understanding of their importance, with a whopping 77% considering them just as crucial as hard skills.
However, the rapid pace of technological advancement has brought a renewed focus on developing these interpersonal skills.
While Sweden recognized their importance early on, recent studies reveal a gap between the country's tech-driven work environment and the soft skills possessed by its workforce.
Leading publications have highlighted this discrepancy: a 2018 IT magazine identified a shortage of essential soft skills - 61% of participants lacked essential soft skills, surpassing the number lacking hard skills (51%) - and a 2021 education provider reported a staggering 85% of career advancement hinges on these skills.
Even communication issues with managers have reportedly led to a significant number of employees leaving jobs (a cool 50%).
These statistics paint a clear picture: there's a need to bridge the soft skills gap.
The good thing is that the sheer volume of recent articles and surveys also highlights a positive trend – a growing demand for, and willingness to develop, these essential skills.
This is evident in the increasing number of private training courses focusing on communication and leadership.
Imagine having a powerful solution that can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses in crucial soft skills areas, personalize your learning journey, and even provide data-driven insights into your progress.
Well, this tool is called Rising Up's THE LAB.
This innovative platform offers a glimpse into the future of soft skills development, making learning engaging, accessible, and highly personalised.
THE LAB. stands for Learning Accurately Better. Along with its 4 core components, THE LAB. helps individuals and organisations identify areas for growth in communication, teamwork, problem-solving… all crucial (25) soft skills for success in today's workplace.
Imagine a marketing student honing their negotiation skills, while a future engineer builds their teamwork muscle. This level of personalization ensures graduates have the exact skills they need to thrive in their chosen field.
So, if you're looking to bridge the soft skills gap and take students' careers to the next level, keep your eyes open for these innovative solutions!
By combining Rising Up's innovative training and cutting-edge tools, we can strengthen students' soft skills and foster their future success in Sweden.
We've already talked about the importance of soft skills and how THE LAB. can help bridge the gap in Sweden.
But have you wondered exactly how it works?
The secret is 4 great pillars of THE LAB.
Let’s dive into each of THE LAB. pillars!
The Soft Skills Scan uses around twenty tests to pinpoint students strengths in areas like communication, collaboration, leadership... But here's the kicker: these tests are customised based on the specific program the student is pursuing.
So, whether aiming for a diploma in marketing or design or coding, the assessment focuses on the most relevant soft skills for the specific future career.
Nawal Abboub, a doctor in neuroscience and co-founder of Rising Up is a key figure behind the platform's development. Nawal emphasises the extensive research that went into creating these assessments. "So, it's been 5 years of really intense research to try and find the right measures" ..
As we discussed, Sweden recognizes the importance of soft skills but faces a gap between available skills and workplace demands. That's why we believe THE LAB. by Rising Up can be a game-changer for Swedish program managers, educational directors and students, because It's not just about identifying strengths and weaknesses, it provides a powerful tool to personalise and enrich soft skills training.
More specifically, the learning platform utilises a core framework of 25 essential soft skills, aligned with those identified by leading Swedish publications and industry experts. This ensures students develop the exact skills they need to thrive in the Swedish job market.
Imagine a marketing student honing their negotiation skills for future client interactions, or a future engineer building their teamwork muscle to excel in collaborative projects – the Soft Skill Enrichment (with its formation and training) empowers this level of personalization.
Furthermore, program managers and educational directors gain access to real-time student progress reports, enabling them to track the effectiveness of training programs and identify areas where students might need additional support.
This data-driven approach aligns perfectly with Sweden's focus on evidence-based education. With this feature, program managers and educational directors can continuously improve their curriculum and bridge the soft skills gap for their students, ultimately increasing their employability and competitiveness in the country's dynamic workforce.
Yet, THE LAB.doesn't stop there! It goes a step further by mapping students' competencies. Nawal Abboub explains : "Thanks to our platform and the data we retrieve, we're able to map the competencies of a given training program and then certify these competencies".
This mapping provides pedagogical managers and program directors with valuable insights. They can see exactly which skills their training programs are effectively developing and identify any areas where students might need additional support. Plus, soft skill mapping allows program managers and educational directors to map entire groups according to sector and year of study.
Equipping students with the right soft skills is crucial, but how do we guarantee they meet the specific demands of different industries? Well, THE LAB.'s certification feature provides a powerful solution for that!
Soft Skill certification allows Swedish educational institutions to define their own certification standards based on the soft skills required for each degree program. These can be aligned with leading industry expectations, ensuring graduates possess the skills employers seek.
"Thanks to this solution, we're now in a position to say what kind of percentage you have in these skills, and to have very precise measurements" - Nawal Abboub.
THE LAB. simplifies the entire certification process. Program managers and educational directors can manage all certifications within a single, user-friendly platform. The system also facilitates renewals with ongoing assessments, keeping your institution's soft skills curriculum aligned with the evolving needs of the Swedish workforce.
Furthermore, THE LAB. empowers program managers and educational directors with real-time insights into student certification status. You can easily identify students who haven't yet certified their soft skills, allowing for targeted intervention and support.
Having said that, this certification validates your soft skills and sets you apart from other candidates. It demonstrates your commitment to professional development and increases your overall employability.
Rising Up's commitment goes beyond simply creating tools. They understand the power of data-driven, scientifically validated approaches. That's why THE LAB. is firmly rooted in cognitive science.
This ensures its effectiveness isn't just a claim, but a fact.
Their dedication to scientific rigour is further solidified by a Deeptech certification from the European Innovation Council (EIC) in 2023.
This prestigious recognition validates THE LAB.’s ability to accurately measure and develop these essential competencies.
Numbers speak volumes, and Rising Up boasts over 3,000 satisfied students and users. These individuals have experienced firsthand the transformative power of THE LAB.
With its data-driven approach, THE LAB. is a powerful tool for Swedish organizations looking to bridge the soft skills gap and equip their workforce for the future.
By focusing on developing essential soft skills like communication, teamwork, and critical thinking alongside technical expertise, Sweden can bridge this gap and empower its workforce to thrive in the digital age.
Additionally, addressing the teacher shortage in VET programs will be crucial for delivering effective training. The teacher's union estimates that by 2033, around 12,500 full-time VET teachers will need to be recruited, more than doubling the number of students currently enrolled in VET teacher programs. This shortage is most severe in rural areas, where schools may have no certified teachers for certain subjects, hindering the delivery of quality education and potentially limiting student access to essential soft skills development.
By combining innovative solutions like THE LAB. with strategic improvements to its education system, Sweden can bridge the soft skills gap and equip its workforce for the demands of the future.
That's why we believe that THE LAB. can be a valuable tool for VET teachers as well. By identifying areas where students may struggle, teachers can tailor their instruction and provide targeted support, maximizing the impact of training programs.
Well, now you know that if you're looking for a career in Sweden, honing your soft skills is an investment in your future success. Whether you're a student looking for the right program or a professional seeking additional training, Sweden is actively supporting the development of these crucial skills.
Get ready to shine! And consider partnering with Rising Up to take your development to the next level.
Program manager, education director are you ready to take the first step?
Send us a message at hello@risinguparis.com and we'll organise a 15-minute demo for you within a week. Let Rising Up unlock your hidden potential and propel you towards success in the ever-evolving world of work.
Combler le manque de connaissance en soft skills de vos étudiants 2 fois plus rapidement.
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