Technical skills are the lifeblood of the workforce, with community colleges at the forefront of short-term programs that equip students with in-demand abilities. While technical know-how remains indispensable, employers are placing increased emphasis on the so-called “human skills” taught in liberal arts —intangibles that encompass critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and comfort with ambiguity or change.
Interviews conducted by Monster for its 2021 Future of Work report underscored a growing call for both technical expertise and strong interpersonal skills, from teamwork and basic dependability to adaptability in a shifting work environment.
This article is an excerpt from the current issue of the Community College Journal, the bimonthly magazine of the American Association of Community Colleges.
Proponents of the liberal arts at community colleges say this curriculum encourages creative and interdisciplinary thinking. Institutions like Minnesota’s North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) integrate a holistic education into their workforce efforts to create more career and transfer pathways.
“There are embedded (liberal arts) competencies in those programs that satisfy general education requirements as well,” says NHCC President Rolando García. “We are addressing skills for baccalaureates at universities, while meeting the communication and collaborative skills that our employers are telling us about.”
Setting the stage
NHCC’s liberal arts programming is largely built around music and the visual arts. A popular theater and film program invites all students to participate in ongoing theater productions and onscreen projects.
The department website stresses the varied skills acquired in liberal arts, placing special emphasis on the interpersonal relationships needed for long-term success. Nor is NHCC hesitant about highlighting the intersection between sought-after “soft” skills and traditional career readiness.
“Hard skills consist of the specialized and technical knowledge of your trade or field,” the website reads. “Soft skills are repeatedly named as the most highly desired skills sought by hiring teams in all career fields. Experience in theatre and film will enable you to develop your soft skills — no matter your career goals.”
Paid internships at Stages Theatre Company immerse participants in a fast-moving industry that requires quick hands and sharp minds, García says. Students may be tasked with prop building or rigging operations — a system of equipment that controls movement of scenery, lights and other theatrical elements.
Unforeseen circumstances such as equipment failure or set malfunctions can hamper a production, requiring a nimble-minded crew unflappable under pressure. Cultivating creativity, emotional intelligence and problem-solving under fire can transfer not only to a professional arts career, but industries beyond the stage or screen as well, García says.
“A biology major might take theater to meet a communications requirement, and it opens their eyes to something else they enjoy,” says García. “We call these essential skills, because no matter what you do or where you go, you’re going to need them. Employers are getting well-rounded students who have competence for the workforce, and are able to collaborate and think critically.”
An infusion of soft skills
Integration of liberal arts into general education is not a novel concept. García opted for theater as a pre-med major at the University of Miami, diverging from the speech communications path taken by many of his fellow students.
Grades were determined by performing different scenes — memorizing lines, getting into character and learning how to modulate his voice improved García’s public speaking, he says. Theater often involves improvisation, a talent that helped the future college president respond quickly to unexpected situations.
“The best speakers can communicate with gestures or eye contact,” García says. “Those are the skills you pick up in a theater program.”
Embedded into courses
Associate degrees in workforce programs at Maryland’s Frederick Community College (FCC) require 20 credit hours in areas including the liberal arts. FCC, whose fall enrollment was 7,300, also offers 20 traditional liberal arts degree programs, which comprise about 33% of declared majors at the institution.
Dual-enrollment learners are part of this mix, notes FCC Dean of Liberal Arts Brian Stipelman. This fall, the college is offering 1,250 credit courses with approximately 21,000 registrations. Of these classes, nearly 790 fall under the liberal arts umbrella, even attracting students from business and computer science.
Graphic design and audio production are two prevalent offerings that prepare students for direct employment or transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution. In addition, 31 general education credits are mandatory for an associate of arts, associate of science or associate of arts in teaching degree; an AAT degree merges liberal arts with educational psychology, teaching methodologies and additional education-focused classes.
“A general education core is baked into all of our degrees and accreditations,” says Stipelman, also associate vice president for academic affairs with FCC’s liberal arts department. “Programs (in liberal arts) have learning outcomes that speak to technical skills and critical and imaginative thinking, along with cultural competence and complex problem-solving. They’re preparing you for a lifetime of work more so than an individual job.”
Conversely, students on FCC’s emergency management or paralegal tracks also can reap the benefit of an embedded ethics or public speaking curricula. According to Stipelman, there is undeniable value in incorporating these courses into seemingly unrelated fields.
“There are two types of training that our students need,” Stipelman says. “Their specific field of study is one, but there is a broader argument around the need for writing, communications and small group work. Things like creativity and empathy that should be infused into everything that you’re doing. Programs that teach very technical skills or processes still need to find ways to infuse those other skills.”
