Investigating soft skills development and workforce readiness in higher education in Morocco

Purpose This study investigates undergraduate students’ and alumni’s perceptions of workforce readiness and curriculum-based soft skills development at a Moroccan higher education institution, examining whether perceived curriculum exposure to soft skills translates into self-reported confidence in applying these competencies. Design/methodology/approach The study surveyed 102 undergraduate students and 24 recent alumni at the Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat using a structured questionnaire combining Likert-scale and open-ended items. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, Mann–Whitney U tests and inductive thematic coding of qualitative responses. Findings Students rate the curriculum’s contribution to soft skills development positively but report only moderate oral communication confidence (M = 2.64, SD = 0.95), whereas alumni report significantly higher confidence (M = 3.58, SD = 0.88, p < 0.001, large effect). Perceived curriculum support does not significantly correlate with communication confidence, indicating that soft-skills exposure and self-efficacy operate as distinct constructs. Qualitative findings identify internships and practical exposure as students’ strongest perceived assets and point to demand for more communication-intensive, applied training. Originality/value By empirically separating perceived curriculum exposure from self-efficacy, this study contributes to curriculum reform debates in technical and applied science education, suggesting that communication competence develops chiefly through professional experience rather than curriculum exposure alone. As the study relies on a convenience sample from a single institution and a cross-sectional design, findings are exploratory and context-specific rather than generalizable or causal.