A survey of 1,000 Australian students in 2020 found that 88% believed soft skills to be necessary for their future career, with 78% agreeing such skills would give them an advantage in the changing workforce due to technological automation. The top three soft skills Australian students believe are most needed for career success are: • Complex problem solving, • Critical thinking and • Creativity.
Although the technical skills of a profession remain important, more and more employers are seeking to employ graduates with a wide soft skills portfolio. As the importance of soft skills for the future workforce increases, the need to integrate these skills into education is essential.
Illustration adapted from Gray, A, 'The 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution', World Economic Forum , 19 January 2016