9 Tips for Teaching New Skills to University Students

« Back to Articles

University is a bridge from education to the workplace. Good educators go further than just sharing course-required wisdom but help their students expand their knowledge and skills to thrive in an ever-demanding and competitive working world. Employers want more than a degree now, they want to know that their employees have the basic skills needed to progress in their careers.

When you equip your students with the resources and tools for personal, professional and lifelong progression, you’re setting them up for victory in their future careers.

In this article, we share our top 9 tips for teaching university students new skills to prepare them for the workforce.

1. Identify Relevant Skills

The first step when teaching your students new skills is to identify the ones that are valuable to your student's personal and professional growth. With each degree requiring different skills, it’s essential to have an idea of what both hard skills and soft skills they need to not only help them during their time at university but also for when they enter the workforce. When you identify the skill gaps currently possessed by your students, you can tailor the methods used for effectively teaching them the skills required.

2. Differentiate Learning Methods

All students have diverse preferences when it comes to learning styles and abilities. This is why you need to differentiate learning methods to meet the unique and diverse needs and wants of your students. For example, the majority of your students may be visual learners so incorporating learning that incorporates this increases chances of success. You must provide the right support and resources to your students to help them progress and grow, and one of the key ways of achieving this is by accommodating individual needs and choosing learning methods that reflect them.

3. Implement a Mentoring Programme

Student mentoring programmes are a great way to ensure your students are developing the skills they need to assist them in their academic journey and beyond. From traditional mentoring to peer mentoring programmes, there are many types of mentoring learning opportunities that your students can grow from. Mentoring can help your students enhance their existing skills and develop new ones. From assignment writing skills to learning the latest technology in their field, mentoring is a personalised and engaging method of learning. To learn more about how mentoring can be used to support and develop your students, speak to a member of the PushFar team today.

4. Host Training Workshops

From communication to problem-solving, several skills are now vital for students to have if they want to stand out in the already competitive workforce. Whilst these training workshops aren’t specifically tailored to different courses, you can host workshops that focus on soft skills needed by university students. Whether it’s a workshop focused on learning how to properly network with other professionals or one solely focused on how they can effectively manage their time, these workshops will prove valuable for any student who attends.

5. Provide Feedback

If you want your students to be successful at acquiring new skills, then you need to make sure that you regularly provide constructive feedback and support. By offering feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the students, and providing specific examples or suggestions for improvements you’re highlighting the skills that need the most attention. Feedback also encourages self-reflection and prompts students to assess their performance and take ownership of their learning and development.

6. Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration is one of the key skills required by the modern workforce and something all students should be looking to improve. By encouraging collaboration and peer learning opportunities, students will enhance their skills. From group projects to two-way learning between peers, taking a collaborative approach with students is highly impactful in helping them grow and develop. Students need to be engaged with learning and a great way to do this is by creating learning opportunities with someone they relate to and feel comfortable with.

7. Promote Active Participation

As mentioned, students need to be engaged with learning, if they want to see real growth. That’s why one of the most important tips we have is to promote active participation and engagement during their learning sessions. Make sure to use interactive training methods that motivate students to ask questions, collaborate and apply their new knowledge or skills. Try incorporating hands-on activities, group activities, role-plays and real-world applications to ensure your students get the best learning experience ever.

8. Make Real-World Connections

University is essentially all about preparing students for the workforce, which is why you need to help students see the real-world connections between the skills they are learning. One of the best ways to teach students new skills is by role-playing authentic scenarios and case studies, to help them make the connection between learning and the workplace. Invite guest speakers from their industry to host talks and provide their latest insight and knowledge, which will inspire students to not only learn but also provide the opportunity to see successful individuals who have used these skills to get where they want to be in their careers.

9. Utilise Online Resources

The internet is full of wonderful resources that can help your students expand their knowledge. We suggest utilising these resources to your full advantage and sharing them with your students if you want them to expand their skills. For instance, if your students want to learn new software, a quick Google search will provide the latest videos showing them how to use it or maybe they want to improve their presentation skills and you can find a great online course. From podcasts to e-books, there are many affordable and oftentimes free resources that your students can make the most out of.

Final Thoughts

Students need to learn skills to successfully navigate both their personal and professional journeys. By identifying skills, differentiating learning methods, implementing a mentoring program, hosting training workshops, providing feedback, encouraging collaboration, promoting active participation, making real-world connections and utilising online resources, you’re creating a learning environment that inspires and promotes skill development. We hope these tips help your students build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success in whatever they do!