Getting Youth in the Door: Defining Soft Skills Requirements for Entry-Level Service Sector Jobs

 Educators and employers agree that there is a growing gap between the skills that companies expect from their entry-level employees and the skills that these young people possess. Despite the widely-held belief that more soft skills training is needed to help close this gap, the current economic crisis has negatively impacted workforce policies and decreased industry investment in training and workforce development.

This report presents findings on the current soft skills training landscape within the service sector, and specifically includes: what basic soft skills competencies are required for a diverse group of entry-level employees with varying levels of education and experience; where gaps in those skills exist; what the soft skills marketplace is offering; and where opportunities for further training exist. The authors explore the potential of e-learning training solutions to increase access to high quality and cost-effective soft-skills training.