Soft skills complement the technical proficiencies and specialist industry knowledge built up over a long career. In recent years, demand for formal soft skills training has risen. The challenge for soft skills training course facilitators now is to ensure that their training and teaching techniques engage participants in a way that develops soft skills effectively, introduces context around their use and leaves a lasting positive impact on future working practices.
The handbook includes:
- Soft skills definition and discussion
- Tips for creating effective learning environments
- Experiential learning and handling sensitive issues
- Facilitator assessment and evaluation methods
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1 What are hard and soft skills?
Chapter 2 Creating and maintaining an effective learning environment
Chapter 3 Peer learning and action planning
Chapter 4 Experiential learning
Chapter 5 Assessment
Chapter 6 Sensitive issues and reflection
Chapter 7 Evaluating your own practice
Chapter 8 Stakeholders
References
Glossary
About the author
About the Author :
Professor Carole Davis RGN BA(Hons) MSc PGCE (Education) D Prof (Education)
Professor Carole Davis has built up a distinguished and varied career, spanning nursing, higher education and training and consulting for the global maritime sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with Social Administration from Warwick University, a master’s degree in Palliative Care from University of London, a PGCE in education from Thames Polytechnic University and a professional doctorate in education from Middlesex University.
Carole began her career as a nurse, specialising in cancer and palliative care nursing. From there, she developed a keen interest in supporting students and teaching colleagues. She initially worked as a MacMillan nursing lecturer at Bloomsbury and Islington College of Nursing and Midwifery before spending 21 years in influential educational development leadership roles in a number of academic establishments. These have included London South Bank, Middlesex University, Queen Mary University of London and Solent University.
Carole spent two years as Head of Academic Development at Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering at Solent University. She continues to hold a Professor Emeritus role at Warsash Maritime School Solent University. Carole has also received a number of prestigious awards, including Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a National Teaching Fellowship and Senior Fellow at the Staff and Educational Developers Association (SEDA).
Intrinsic to Carole’s work is the importance of connecting, collaborating and networking with others in order to create a positive and inclusive working environment. In July 2022, she set up Carole L. Davis Associates to deliver expert advice on education and training, mentoring and end-to-end project support. Clients include Oxford Brookes University, University of East London, The Royal Veterinary College, University of Greenwich, London Metropolitan University and The Seafarers’ Charity.
Carole is an external examiner for the University of East London and University of Liverpool, a regular reviewer for Advance HE Fellowships and was Co-Chair of SEDA from 2019 to 2022.
In 2023, Carole was proud to see the publication of the Maritime Professional Council’s Kind Leadership Report, for which she was first author and a crucial part of the analysis team. She lives in east London, has three adult children and is proud grandmother to the ‘A’ girls who are Aria, Aila and Amelia. In her spare time, Carole enjoys training at her local gym, outdoor swimming and reading thrillers.
Review :
Despite an increasing awareness of the importance of the human element in shipping, the perspective of seafarers remains largely overlooked. This book provides a critical insight into the thoughts, motives and experiences of seafarers across the globe. It is a must-read for anyone concerned to develop a deep understanding of the sector and its key actors."
Professor Helen Sampson to SAFETY4SEA
