Potential Development of the Workforce on Soft Skills

Abstract

This research had the objective to 1) study the necessity in developing Soft Skills in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) 2) prioritize and present the necessity on Soft Skills in the EEC 3) develop workforce potential development course on Soft Skills 4) assess and certify the course and 5) implement potential development course on Soft Skills with 3 phases of the research as follows. Phase 1 was to study the necessity in the potential development of the workforce on Soft Skills. The sample group was the labor force in the EEC in the number of 400 people. The group of qualified and entrepreneurs in the number of 18 people. The tools used were a questionnaire of the necessity and an in-depth interview. Phase 2 was to design and develop the course. The data source was a group of 11 experts. The tools used were the evaluation form of the course drafting consistency, course feasibility evaluation form, record of the seminar result by the expert groups. Phase 3 was to use the course. The sample group was the workforce in the EEC in the number of 32 people. The tool used was a training course for the development of the workforce on Soft Skills, communication skills, evaluation forms of communication skills, and satisfaction evaluation forms.

           The research findings were as follows.

1. 1. The average of the necessity of the current condition of all items is lower than the condition needed for developing Soft Skills of the workforce in the EEC and had the priority need index (PNI_Modified) between 10.5%-43.3%.

           2.The Soft Skills with the first priority need was Communication Skills (PNI_Modified=0.433). The second priority need was Asking and Listening Skills (PNI_Modified=0.362). The third priority need was Storytelling Skills(PNI_Modified=0.375). As for Soft Skills with the least necessity was Culture Awareness (PNI_Modified=0.105).

1. 3. The potential development course on Soft Skills workforce had the components as follows. (1) course name (2) problem and necessity (3) principle (4) target (5) objective (6) content (7) process (8) activity (9) communication and learning source and (10) measurement and evaluation of result.

           4.The evaluation and certification of the training course and development of workforce potential on Soft Skills, communication skills by a seminar of Connoisseurship by gathering experts mostly agreed with the asking points. The evaluation of the consistency component and the possibility of course application was feasible in the overall picture at the highest level. (=4.55) (S.D.=.37)

1. 5. After implementing the training course of workforce potential development on Soft Skills on communication (1) scores of communication skill after training was higher than before the training with statistical significance at the level of 0.01 (2) the score of communication skill from self-evaluation before the training in the overall was at an average level (=1.88) and after the training was at a good level (=2.67) (3) the score of communication skill from colleagues before the training in the overall was on an average level (=2.10), (S.D.=.82) and after the training was at a good level (=2.45), (S.D.=.78) (4) the score of communication skill from evaluation of the trainer/process after training in the overall picture was at a good level. (=2.39) comparing with the specified criteria (5) satisfaction of the training participants to the training course of the workforce on Soft Skills, the overall communication skill was at the highest level (=4.12), (S.D.=.88).