ENHANCING GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY THROUGH SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Soft skills are interpersonal skills and competence that help higher education graduates secure jobs and perform well in their personal and career development. It boosts individual confidence and enhances graduate employability. To this effect, the paper discusses soft skills development in higher education as a pathway to graduate productivity. The main thrust of the study is to climax the significance of soft skills in graduate employability. The study examines high-demand soft skills in the jobs market, including analytical, problem-solving, technical and communication skills. The study relies on secondary data including literature, journals, and textbooks to provide an expository analysis of the subject matter. The study highlights that traditional teaching methods prioritize technical knowledge over soft skills, hindering their development in tertiary education. The study submits that possessing soft skills increases employability and acts as a catalyst for personal and career development. The paper suggests that managers of tertiary educational institutions should integrate digital technology into the pedagogical content among others.