Date

6-17-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Linda Eubanks

Keywords

Soft skills, curriculum, work-based learning, Career and Technical Education, Integrated curriculum, stakeholders, student outcomes, and employability Skills

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to improve soft skills training in the Career and Technical Education curriculum at the Sumter Career and Technology Center in South Carolina. The problem was that 8% of the Sumter Career and Technology Center's students participating in work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships, or internships lack the soft skills required by participating employers. The rationale for this study was that it is critical to improve soft skills training in the curriculum at Sumter Career and Technology Center to improve students' performance in work-based learning opportunities to boost employer confidence and lead to permanent future employment opportunities following graduation. The central research question was the following: How can soft skills training in the Career and Technical Education curriculum at the Sumter Career and Technology Center be improved? Three forms of data collection were collected for this applied research, including interviews, a quantitative survey, and a focus group. Qualitative data were analyzed by identifying codes and themes. The descriptive statistics method was used to analyze the quantitative data of the survey results.

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