ATE PI Conference: The Importance of Soft Skills

Overview

“Hands on, Minds on,” that was the theme at the 2017 The National ATE Principle Investigators Conference held by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). While other conferences are largely industry oriented, the National ATE Conference brought together 850 people from across the U.S. to discuss issues, challenges, and emerging programs facing Advance Technical Education (ATE).

The Showcases

The Conference hosted an astonishing 240 showcases, including 60 student showcases. All of which are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Many of the showcases featured emerging technologies such as UAS (drones) and Robotics or developments in existing disciplines, such as the Cyber-security and STEM fields.

Several UAS showcases were present with programs at several stages of development. While each was impressive in its own right, the USTEP program is well ahead of the game for a first year program. Attendees were impressed with the scope, depth, and planning of the USTEP program.

The Changing Job Market

A reoccurring theme of the conference was the concept that the job market is changing. Yesterday’s jobs no longer exist. As one speaker stated, “The days of your grandfather’s electrician are over.” What he meant is that today’s workforce needs more education. An electrician today must deal with more regulations, the integration of technology, and an increasing consumer demand. In the next decade, 770,000 technicians and over two million manufacturing jobs are predicted to open up. While manufacturing has traditionally been seen as a “floor level” and “dirty” occupation, much of this is now done in clean rooms with the assistance or robotics with starting salaries of $35,000 to $55,000 (on the low end). Jobs of this nature will require a combination of education and work experience, creating the demand for an educated workforce.

Soft Skills

One of the most informative sessions, titled Education, Employers, and Employability Skills was a chance for industry employers (hiring officials and CEO’s) to describe the main skills every employee must have. All were told through horror stories. All three speakers agreed number one on the list was soft skills. Texting does not count! One speaker was forced to fire an employee after the person refused to communicate by any means other than texting. Teamwork, dependability, work ethics, dealing with conflict (no, you cannot throw items at co-workers) and several others were discussed. While these are skills, educators often try to develop in the classroom this discussion really reinforced how crucial these skills are in the current job market.