Soft skills trump technical skills for most workers, but level of importance varies widely by educational attainment | Pew Research Center

September 28, 2016

4. Skills and training needed to compete in today’s economy

Soft skills trump technical skills for most workers, but level of importance varies widely by educational attainment

Soft skills trump technical skills for most workers, but level of importance varies widely by educational attainment

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Soft skills trump technical skills for most workers, but level of importance varies widely by educational attainment

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4. Skills and training needed to compete in today’s economy
More educated workers see greater need for ongoing training and skills development
Many workers have taken a class or gotten training in past year, often because employer required it
Lower-income workers who seek additional training are motivated by wages, new job opportunities
Limitations on time and resources can hold some workers back from getting additional skills training
Roughly a third of bachelor’s degree holders – with no postgrad degree – say they need more education and training to get ahead in current job
For workers who need more training to get ahead in their job, pluralities point to formal education as the answer
Amid demand for high-skilled jobs, people skills still matter a lot
Soft skills trump technical skills for most workers, but level of importance varies widely by educational attainment
In acquiring soft skills, workers rely on a mix of schooling, on-the-job training and natural ability
Formal education is relied upon more for math, analytical and computer skills
Most college graduates say someone with less education could learn to do their job
Roughly four-in-ten workers with a bachelor’s degree say they are overqualified for their job