By Manel Hamdi
Each workplace looks for a different mix of skills and experience. However, it’s no longer enough to rely on your professional qualifications to be recruited or even to keep your job. In other words, employers are now looking for other skills, soft skills, along with hard skills in order to be convinced to hire you. Soft skills are all those personal attributes that sit outside of your professional qualifications and work experience. They refer to how you interact, lead and communicate with others and they are essential for any successful career. According to the University of Kent, there is a top ten list of skills that employers want: verbal community, teamwork, commercial awareness, analysing and investigating, initiative/self motivation, drive, written communication, planning and organising, flexibility, and time management.
Recently, the AIC held a four days training in Ain Drahem, governorate of Jendouba, from the 20th to the 24th June 2014 where they defined soft skills and highlighted their importance in today’s workplace with the support of MEPI. The training sessions on employability and soft skills are part of the TOT cycle launched on May 2014, as a final chapter of ‘Tune in Tunisia program.’ T-I-T is a program that aims at increasing civic involvement, increasing citizen understanding of human rights/civic responsibilities and fostering a culture of social entrepreneurship.
The training was led by Mr. Mehrez Ayari, a program officer in the International Youth Foundation (IYF), and a soft skills and employability coach. More importantly, the AIC Executive Director, Ms. Zainab Al Suwaij attended the training and co-trained the participants along with Mr. Mehrez Ayari and Ms. Basma Azizi, AIC Tunisia Office Director.
Upon the kind request of another trainer from the governorate of Kef, Nassima Layfia, the AIC held an extra two days training in Kef on the 23th and the 24th June 2014. Nassima Layfia is a trainer, facilitator and entrepreneurial coach in entrepreneurship, tourism trade, personal and relational development. Other trainings also took place in different governorates across Tunisia in which subjects like financial education, leadership skills and elections monitoring were discussed.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of American Islamic Congress or any employee thereof.
