Are Our Graduates Prepared? Comparing West Greene School District Graduates’ Soft Skills to Greene County Employers’ Needs

This doctoral capstone project investigates the alignment between the soft skills taught by the West Greene School District and the soft skills most valued by Greene County’s top employers. In response to local economic challenges and a shrinking working-age population, this research aims to determine whether the graduates of the West Greene School District are equipped with the soft skills necessary for local employment and long-term community sustainability. The purpose of the study was to assess the perceived value of the individual, collaborative, and procedural soft skills amongst local business leaders and to evaluate whether the district’s current programming sufficiently prepares students to meet workforce expectations. The research employed a mixed-methods design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through employer surveys. The findings revealed that “Communication,” “Responsibility to Get the Job Done,” and “Integrity and Empathy,” stood out amongst the local employers. The study concludes with strategic recommendations for aligning soft skill instruction with employer expectations, emphasizing curriculum reform, community partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities. This alignment is essential not only to improve graduate employability but also to bolster the economic vitality of Greene County by cultivating a locally grounded, workforce-ready population.