Soft skills development in personnel training

Abstract

The relevance and demand of graduates on a labor market, ability to adapt quickly to employer's requirements or to change specialty in a short period of time are one of the main aspects that are becoming more and more important and necessary. It is connected with the growing amount of information and the increase of uncertainty level. The development of soft skills (together with professional skills) of students helps to improve flexibility, prompt reaction, and speed of decision-making as well as sensitivity, system solution. So, as a result there is a stable personality and a professional employee. The article presents the research on soft skills development of undergraduate students from Samara State Agrarian University. The obtained results have shown the relevant ways, approaches and methods for development of soft skills. The recommendations for soft skills development for students have been also analyzed. It has been proved that additional education, especially connected with the foreign languages, contributes to the development of the following soft skills: multilingualism and multiculturalism, the ability to work with people, the ability to work under unstable conditions, creative thinking and flexibility of behavior.