4 Activities to Teach Employability Skills in Your Classrooms
You know one of the words I dislike the most as an educator?
SOFT SKILLS
Ugh, it makes my skin crawl. When did we decide that the skills that allow you to be productive citizens and highly employable people become less important than technical skills? I don’t know about you but I would much rather hire someone who was professional, timely, respectful and passionate that has developing technical skills over someone who is the smartest in their given area of expertise, but has worse work behavior than Michael Scott and George Constanza.
As a career technical subject matter, we as agriculture teachers are honored with the important task of providing instruction in employability skills. That means we get the best of both worlds; teaching the soft and technical skills.
One thing I do know is that we might not put much emphasis on these standards. Maybe even saying “well, they will get sprinkles of this throughout the curriculum so I am not going to teach it.”
And that is the WRONG answer my friend.
This statistic from a recent Deloitte survey says that “92% of companies report that human capabilities or soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills in today’s business world.” This article even mentioned that people are starting to catch on to the significance of these skills, rebranding them as “durable” skills. I am here for that!
Companies are looking for employees with skills like empathy, collaboration and adaptability. With the emergence of artificial intelligence barring some of the technical skill load of many careers it is imperative that our students are well equipped in the skills computers/bots can’t replicate like empathy, collaboration, emotional intelligence, intuition and complex problem solving.
And that is why we at G&G believe that your employability unit should be of utmost importance in your classroom. I know for certain that my biggest wish as an educator is to make certain why kids could succeed in life as a good citizen and employee. And this is your chance to do this for your students too.
We have compiled some resources that you can grab-and edit to your liking that can help you focus on employability skills at a deeper level in your classroom this year.
3 ACTIVITIES TO TEACH EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IN YOUR CLASSROOMS
In the newest G&G resource, students participate in a tournament-style career exploration where they compare agricultural careers head-to-head across three rounds. They start by reviewing career pathway information, then evaluate pairs of careers based on key factors such as job satisfaction, work environment, and growth potential. As they progress through the rounds, students select winners and provide three well-reasoned justifications for their choices. The activity concludes with a final matchup to determine the "ultimate" agricultural career. This engaging format encourages students to think critically about career paths in agriculture while refining their decision-making skills.
Durable (Soft) Skills this Battle of the Ag Careers lesson focuses on: Critical thinking, decision making, analytical skills and self-awareness.
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Structured Lesson Plans: Detailed guides to navigate each phase from idea generation to final presentation.
Timelines: Suggested schedules to manage project milestones efficiently.
Assessment Rubrics: Clear criteria for evaluating student work and presentations.
Business Plan Templates: Pre-formatted documents for students to outline their business ideas.
Pitch Outlines: Templates to help students organize their presentations.
Panel Evaluation Criteria: Guidelines for "investors" to assess pitches and provide feedback.
Guidelines for Presentation: Tips and strategies to help students prepare for their pitch delivery.
2. Shark Tank Entrepreneurial Skills
Shark Tank Entrepreneurial Skills
Shark tank type lessons are a great way to get kids thinking outside the box. This lesson would be awesome not just for an employability skills unit, but also to be sprinkled throughout content units to encourage students to solve problems related to the content you are teaching.
In this activity, students begin by brainstorming and developing an innovative product or service idea. They then create a comprehensive business plan, detailing aspects such as target market, marketing strategies, financial projections, and operational plans.
Once their plan is formulated, students prepare a persuasive pitch to present to a panel of "investors," simulating the format of the "Shark Tank" television show. This presentation involves defending their business idea, answering questions, and potentially negotiating terms, providing a practical experience in entrepreneurship.
Durable (Soft) Skills this shark tank lesson focuses on: Innovation, presentation skills, critical thinking
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Structured Lesson Plans: Detailed guides to navigate each phase from idea generation to final presentation.
Timelines: Suggested schedules to manage project milestones efficiently.
Assessment Rubrics: Clear criteria for evaluating student work and presentations.
Business Plan Templates: Pre-formatted documents for students to outline their business ideas.
Pitch Outlines: Templates to help students organize their presentations.
Panel Evaluation Criteria: Guidelines for "investors" to assess pitches and provide feedback.
Guidelines for Presentation: Tips and strategies to help students prepare for their pitch delivery.
3. Purple Plow
Engineering, Design Thinking and Agriculture are combined in this Purple Plow program. I’ve used a lot of the resources on this website to include their short puzzlers and semester long projects to teach important soft skills like critical thinking and collaboration.
In Purple Plow challenges, students engage in a variety of activities designed to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They begin by researching complex agricultural issues, such as food security and sustainability, to understand the challenges at hand. Using the engineering design process, students design and develop prototypes that address these challenges, followed by testing and refining their solutions through iteration. The process culminates in presentations where students articulate their design journey and the effectiveness of their solutions, promoting strong communication skills and collaborative learning.
Soft Skills this lesson focuses on: creativity, problem solving, teamwork, communication
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Educator and Volunteer Guide: Offers detailed information to help teachers understand and facilitate the challenges, including guidance on the engineering design process.
Engineering Design Process Guide: Introduces students to the systematic approach used by engineers and scientists to solve challenges, which they can apply during the activities.
Engineering Design Rubric: Provides criteria to evaluate student projects, aiding in assessment and feedback.
Supply List and Budget Sheet: Assists teachers in planning and organizing materials needed for the activities, ensuring efficient preparation.
Task Cards: Help students stay organized and on track throughout the challenge, outlining specific tasks and objectives.
Why not blend your FFA and employability skills units together? I specifically did this activity with my second, third of fourth year students so they didn’t have to do that whole FFA Unit song and dance since they already knew the basics. This allowed them to dive deeper into the meaning FFA had in real people who went through the program before them.
In the FFA Interview Project, students are assigned to interview a former FFA member or educator to explore the long-term benefits of involvement in FFA and agricultural education.
They connect with their interviewee via phone, video call, or in-person meeting, asking prepared questions to gather insights about the subject's experiences and professional growth. After conducting the interview, students synthesize their findings by creating either a written report or presentation that captures key responses and reflections.
The project includes class time for preparation, but students may also work independently. To conclude, students craft and send a formal thank-you note to their interview subject.
Soft Skills this lesson focuses on: communication skills, interpersonal skills, active listening, organization, time management, reflection
Here is what is provided to teachers to help implement this activity into your classroom seamlessly:
Contact Information Template: Fields to document interviewee details.
Resource Links: Tips for interviewing, starting conversations, email etiquette, and thank-you notes.
Interview Question Section: Space to list at least 10 thoughtful interview questions.
Rubric: Clear criteria for evaluating student work, including components for introduction, body content, conclusion, organization, and thank-you card submission.
Assessment Examples: Guidance on how to effectively quote or paraphrase interview content in reports or presentations.
Overall, soft skills are DURABLE skills that are equally important for your students to learn in your classroom and there are lots of fun ways to help you incorporate this type of skill building into your lesson plans.
If you are someone who loves teaching soft skills in your classroom we would love to hear about it! Send an email to greenandgrowingedu@gmail.com to share your idea.
