CompTIA Newsroom

Working Together to Define Employability Skills, Often Referred to as Soft Skills

Washington, D.C. – The Center for Tech Workforce Solutions (CTWS), a new think tank dedicated to both expanding and diversifying the technology workforce, has established an academic partnership with George Mason University to determine a working definition of employability skills, often referred to as soft skills.

Under the collaboration, George Mason is offering an honors course titled “Honor 430: Multidisciplinary Challenges in Professional Environments.” It will include three to five current George Mason Honors College students, each at least in their second year at Mason. As part of a multidisciplinary approach, team members will come from different fields of study and bring with them distinct knowledge, competencies, and experiences. CTWS will provide mentors from their staff and an honoraria to the program to further their good work, which will support George Mason University Honors College students with need-based scholarship.  The project begins on January 25, 2018 and culminates with a public presentation on May 3, 2018.

“This is a great opportunity that speaks to our commitment to building strong partnerships with academia and the community AND finding solutions that create technology career opportunities for all Americans,” said David Hyman, president of the CTWS. 

Hyman added, “Employability skills in IT careers matter more than people think. The innate personal qualities one brings to the table not only influence a person’s success in the IT field but also helps to determine the IT job role they should pursue. Defining soft skills is critical.  We are looking forward to working with these highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate students at George Mason University’s Honors College.”

“We are very excited that The Center for Technology & Workforce Solutions (CTWS) is partnering with George Mason University’s Honors College. This academic collaboration will provide a team of multidisciplinary honors students the opportunity to investigate and develop responses to challenges currently facing the tech industry by determining a working definition of employability skills, often referred to as soft skills,” said Dr. Anthony Dyer Hoefer, Assistant Dean of the Honors College.

“Students will learn a variety of problem-solving strategies including design thinking – an approach that emerged from the engineering practice but which is now fundamental to many MBA curricula and to the process used by many consulting firms. We are excited by the challenge given to us by CTWS and the students look forward to sharing their findings later this Spring.”

About the Center for Technology & Workforce Solutions
The Center for Technology & Workforce Solutions (CTWS) is a 501c (3) dedicated to finding solutions that create technology career opportunities for all Americans, regardless of background or education level. CTWS partners with industry, educators, government leaders and non-profits to grow the tech workforce. For more information, please go to https://ctwsolutions.org.

About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 37,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at www.gmu.edu.

Media Contact:
Lana Sansur
CTWS
[email protected]
301-639-9892