One of the biggest challenges employers face today is finding applicants that not only have the knowledge and training to do the job, but also the necessary “soft skills” to succeed in a professional environment.
To bridge that gap, a new project by a team in the “Leadership Temple” class is bringing soft skills training into the Temple High School Career & Technical Education Center.
The Leadership Temple team, made up of Bryan Daniel, a Certified Financial Planner with Morgan Stanley, Kayla Landeros, City Attorney for the City of Temple, and Nate Outland with Extraco Banks, held their first session with CTE students on February 12th.
Working with students enrolled in the Cosmetology program, they focused on teamwork and collaboration, communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, critical observation and adaptability.
Possessing these soft skills is fast becoming a critical component of the overall career training students receive at Temple High School.
A state leader in developing Career & Technical Education programs, Temple ISD works with local businesses and the Temple Economic Development Corporation in developing new, career focused curriculum.
This allows Temple High School to graduate students with the professional training, certifications and college credit needed to immediately enter the workforce and fill in-demand, good paying local jobs.
In turn, a highly qualified workforce with both hard and soft skills helps the City of Temple and the Temple EDC attract new companies into our area.
The Leadership Temple group will continue working with CTE students on March 4th, and they have four presentations scheduled for April.
They hope to expand the program in the future to offer internships after the students receive soft skills training.