‘Soft Skills’ Bill Moves Forward In House

(Lauren Chapman/IPB News)

Legislation to improve employability, or soft skills, for Hoosier students is another step closer to becoming law. Those include things like getting to work on time and working well with others.

The House Education Committee unanimously passed SB 297 at its meeting Thursday for schools to include soft skills standards in their curriculum. The State Department of Workforce Development would work with the Department and Board of Education to create those standards.

Author of the bill, Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Centerville), says those lessons are applicable to more than just the workplace.

“What we’re doing is creating the necessity of teaching life skills – we call them employability skills but they’re really skills we all need,” Raatz says.

The bill also expands the Indiana Career Explorer pilot program, and creates a statewide work ethic certificate program for students.

The Senate approved the bill last week. Now it moves to the House for consideration.