Development of soft-skills as an integral part of secondary vocational education

The world is changing rapidly, what was relevant yesterday is no longer in demand in the modern labor market. The main task of secondary vocational education is to keep up with the times and prepare qualified specialists to meet the needs of the modern economy. The article examines the problem of the importance of soft-skills development in the structure of secondary vocational education, raises the question of closer attention to educational programs in terms of the development of personal qualities and human capital. The author reveals the concept of “soft” skills, and also draws attention to the abilities that are most in demand by modern employers. The definition of “hard skills” is given and it is shown why only complex possession of “soft” and “hard” qualities allows you to be a high-class specialist. The methods of developing “soft” skills in the process of obtaining secondary vocational education are proposed. The article summarizes the experience of the teaching staff of the Vologda Technical School of Railway Transport in the field of the formation of supra-professional skills: pedagogical technologies used by teachers in the classroom are presented, a variety of extracurricular activities that contribute to the harmonious development of the student is described. The article is written based on scientific literature, as well as regulatory and legal sources. 

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