On the training of soft skills in a Peruvian University: Strengths and weaknesses

Abstract

Soft skills, which are interpersonal and social skills, are very important in the job market. Skills like teamwork, oral expression and leadership could make a difference when two or more candidates have similar qualifications. The Peruvian job market is not an exception to this, since research shows that headhunters prioritize soft skills in 9 out of 10 personal selections. Therefore, this work puts forward an analysis to determine which skills are well provided at a Peruvian university and which of these skills undergraduate students consider are important for the job market. To obtain this information, 71 undergraduate students from electronic engineering and computer science were surveyed. First, it was found that more than 60% of the participants considered that skills like teamwork and leadership are very important for the job market, however, 12% states that they are bad-prepared in these skills at university. In addition, 91% participants considered that foreign language skills are important or very important, nevertheless, this stands as the worst prepared skill at universities among 11 skills listed in the survey. Finally, the Chi-Square Test for Independence was used to determine the dependence between gender and the importance of any skill listed. It is expected that this work serves as a guide to educational authorities from Peru to promote a better preparation in soft skills at universities.