Soft Skills, Personal Resources, and Academic Goals: An Empirical Contribution in University Students
Emanuela Ingusci, Elisa De Carlo, Fulvio Signore, Alessia Anna Catalano, Maria Velia Artigas, Fabio Pollice
The growing attention to the role played by transversal skills in the academic and personal success of students, combined with the issue of the quality and employability of graduates, places the need for educational institutions to rethink and update guidance actions and strategies aimed at promoting sustainable resources (such as life and soft skills) among university students at the centre of public debate. In this perspective, the aim of this study is to explore the role of soft skills in the relationship between psychological capital and academic achievement, in light of the job demands-resources model. The analysis was carried out on 457 university students. The results show that psychological capital plays a role in influencing academic achievement and enhancing the development of soft skills. The latter, in turn, play a crucial role in enabling students to achieve their university goals. There are several practical implications for interdisciplinary research and for the promotion of opportunities for the cultural, economic and social growth of the new generations: the results of this study may provide interesting insights for defining and redefining good guidance practices, building sustainable competences for both educational and professional futures.
Keywords
Psychological capital, Academic goals, Soft skills, Counseling, Competences, Sustainability.
