Investing in Essential Skills training produces a whole range of soft returns
in the workplace. Typically, investing in Essential Skills produces a ripple
effect in this area. Soft returns accrue to individual employees and their managers,
to teams, to organizations as a whole, and to the wider community in which individuals
and organizations operate (including families). Employees become more engaged,
more adaptable, and better able to learn and to succeed in other training.
Table 2: Soft returns on Essential Skills investments
| Who Benefits |
Soft Returns |
| Individuals |
- Believe they are more capable
- Take more pride in their work
- Accept and act on suggestions for personal improvement more readily
- Have improved self-confidence
- Develop a lifelong learning attitude
|
| Teams |
- Improve communication and cooperation
- Respect diversity
- Better identify and leverage contributions of individual team members
|
| Organizations |
Employees…
- show more initiative and become more innovative
- work and make decisions more independently
- become better at recognizing and solving problems
- take on new roles as mentors and peer learning coaches
|
| Family and community |
Employees…
- are better able to help children with homework
- participate more in voluntary activities
- enjoy improved health
|