Soft skills development in higher education institutions: Students’ perceived role of universities and students’ self-initiatives in bridging the soft skills gap

This study aimed to explore how soft skills development is done in higher education institutions (HEIs) by considering the roles of HEIs and students. The study used a mixed research approach comprising qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data was collected from 16 students using semi-structured interviews. In comparison, quantitative data was collected using a standard questionnaire from 342 students pursuing management and administrative undergraduate programmes in one of the universities in Tanzania. Through questionnaires, participants were asked to rank soft skills according to their relevance to their careers. The top five most relevant soft skills identified were communication, leadership, decision-making, teamwork/orientation and problem-solving. In addition, participants self-evaluated their levels of soft skills. Findings demonstrate that students perceived to have more customer orientation, communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and work-ethic skills. Through qualitative interviews, participants narrated the role of HEIs in developing soft skills and their personal initiatives to acquire the skills. It was found that joining clubs and associations, taking leadership roles, reading self-development books, watching videos and attending soft skills training are initiatives that students use for soft skills acquisition. Key Words:Soft skills, higher education, employability, human skills, interpersonal skills.