Soft skills valued over technical knowledge in graduates

Effective communication and an ability to work as part of a team are valued more highly than technical knowledge by graduate employers, according to a new study.
The survey of 198 UK employers found that soft skills, including confidence and an ability to be analytical were all valued more than technical knowledge by employers at the recruitment stage.
When asked to rank a list of 30 competencies required or desired by employers, technical knowledge ranked 24th, while effective communication ranked first.
Further soft skills such as being a team player, ranked 3rd, confidence ranked 5th and the ability to be analytical ranked 6th. Ability in numeracy, however, was also ranked highly in 2nd.

Further information at  www.telegraph.co.uk/education