Soft Skills: "We are not machines that are asked to code and nothing else".

Nowadays, they saturate the educational and professional space. Here we present them to you: they are called 'skills' and their surname is 'soft'. Although most prefer to use its English name: '...'.soft skills'.  

What is worth more: an idea or how I communicate it? It is common to hear Raúl Maríndirector of the UX/UI design bootcampasking this question. No matter how good an idea is, if I don't learn to communicate it, to present it, or to share it, what happens? This reflection raises the dichotomy that can be deepened or deepened from another question: What are more important: the hard skills or the soft skills? 

Difference between hard skills y soft skills

The hard skills include all technical, concrete and specific knowledge geared towards performing a given task or job. The labour market, for example, is in a constant state of demand for professionals with technical skills in areas such as Data Science and Cybersecurity.

However, as the demand for skilled talent in technology and software areas grows, the soft skills become a key factor for differentiation in this competitive market. 

It is interesting to hear Daniel Gonzáleza student in the final year of Software Development EngineeringThe report, in a recent interview, shows the added value of having not only technical knowledge, but also spaces in which to nurture and nurture the soft skills. As a result of their professional internships at IberiaIt gives meaning to having learned to speak in public, to think critically, to work in a team, or to understand the environment around us. "We are not machines that are asked for code. and nothing else," he says.

In a world where how we work and how we relate to each other is constantly changing, developing these skills has become a necessity. 

For this reason, at IMMUNE, we have accepted the challenge to channel the acquisition of the soft skills meeting the demands of the labour market and accompanying our students in a more comprehensive way in their professional development.

Soft skills in the pedagogical field

However, despite noting the importance of deepening these skills in the educational sphere, the first obstacle encountered is the lack of a conceptual framework of reference. It is necessary to take into account the fact that a clear conceptual definition of the soft skills will somehow delimit subsequent pedagogical action. And, in this case, its definition varies from author to author, so that it is not possible to reconcile a concrete definition of the concept of soft skills.

Therefore, we start from a definition that encompasses the common and identifying characteristics of these skills, such as, for example: 

• They are cross-cutting and transferable to any discipline.
• They are delimited as opposed to what is no are (technical competences).
• They develop throughout life and in relation to a context.
• They provide a added value to technical expertise.

For the approach pedagogical and didacticwe base our work on the project-based learningIt provides the right approach to structure the learning of these skills. This educational model promotes the learning of technical knowledge from a practical methodology, while stimulating motivation and autonomy, and encouraging the development of these skills. soft skillsor soft skills.

Our commitment as institute of technological training is to train professionals with the best technical skills in each of their fields, as well as to provide people with the other skills necessary to successfully carry out our professional activity. 

Alan Gomez, Psychopedagogist and academic advisor at IMMUNE Technology Institute.