On January 30, 2024, we had the opportunity to be part of a special event at the Colegio San Gabriel Zuera, we from Instituto Ikigai hosted a Multiplier Event for the project Prometheus – a project dedicated to bringing Soft Skills into Vocational Education and Training (VET). We were there to present the project’s goals and the significant results, wanting to engage the students, who were in their teenage years, and increasing their understanding of soft skills. We invited them to explore the Soft Skills Portfolio we have developed.

Soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability, are incredibly important for employability, particularly for young individuals and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s often taken for granted that job seekers will have the necessary hard skills acquired through standard education, but soft skills are usually overlooked, despite being challenging to acquire and critically important.

The Prometheus project was conceived to address this educational gap by providing VET and VET-C trainers with the knowledge and resources needed to revolutionize the education sector. This enables young people to acquire the most sought-after employability skills. Over the last ten months, we, together with our partners Skill Up and Stichting UIF, have dedicated ourselves to the creation and dissemination of a Portfolio that includes the twelve most critical skills for employability. To ensure its accessibility, we translated the Portfolio into several languages: English, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch, reflecting the languages of the partners involved.

During the event, we discussed the project’s objectives and the crucial role soft skills play for those entering the job market or aiming to excel in their careers. The students showed great interest in the project, asking insightful questions about the soft skills covered and the Portfolio. We shared the Portfolio’s link with the school, allowing the students to download it and begin enhancing their soft skills.

Looking forward, we are excited about our final meeting and conference on February 26, 2024, in Zaragoza, Spain, set for the evening at Esic University. This event promises a platform to review the project’s results, celebrate our successes, and consider future collaborations.

Visit the project on Linkedin or Facebook.