An analysis of the concept of soft skills in a lifelong learning movement in Singapore

This article analyses the concept of soft skills through the example of SkillsFuture, which is a nation-wide lifelong learning movement in Singapore. It is argued that soft skills, known as Critical Core Skills (CCS) in SkillsFuture, emphasise the personal dimension which comprises intrapersonal and interpersonal elements. SkillFuture appears to hold that the mastery of soft skills is primarily the responsibility of individual workers, which may vitiate the movement's goal for all citizens to attain skills proficiency. It is contended that the development and application of soft skills are not determined by personal qualities alone, but also and crucially, by job structure, organisational policies, practices and culture, economic agents, prevailing societal norms and systems. What is less attended to in SkillsFuture are the organisational and societal dimensions that highlight the mediating effects of job requirements and social constructions concerning soft skills. This study contributes to the existing literature by illustrating the inadequacy of relying solely or largely on the personal dimension of soft skills as a key component of lifelong learning. Relatedly, it is essential to go beyond the individual efforts of workers to consider and integrate the organisational and societal dimensions.