Research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center indicates 85 percent of job success comes from having well-developed soft and people skills, and only 15 percent of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge (hard skills). Employers are often prepared to teach technical job skills; however, the intangible skills of being a team player, time management, and positive attitude are difficult to teach on-site but are critical to success. 

To address this need, Graves County Extension Office offered the Positive Employability: Preparing for Financial Success program to provide clientele with the personal skill sets and resources to be workforce ready. As part of the Positive Employability program, the Graves County Extension Office partnered with The Lighthouse-A Refuge for Women and Children. 

The program consisted of three curriculum sets delivering objective-based learning through interactive learning activities, including Ten Soft Skills for Success, Communication Skills, and Professional Etiquette as well asresume and interview skills provided from Job Club.

The participants received 6 hours of direct hands-on education.  Eight people participated in the workshop series.  The participants were either not working or looking for jobs as they began their stay at The Lighthouse. The first two classes focused on getting their information together to be able to fill out applications and to create a resume. One participant was able to get her information ready to fill out her K-TAP application due to our class discussion. Another was able to get a full-time job at the local animal shelter that she had been volunteering with after the discussion during a class. The discussion was about making yourself stand out as the best applicant in a stack of resumes. The participant told me “I did what you said in class”. When I talked with her she said that she tried really hard while volunteering to stand out above the other volunteers. She said it worked, I go the job!