The right to decent work of individuals with vulnerability: The role of soft skills.

In relation also to the instability and insecurity of the job market individuals with vulnerability are at higher risk in the current job market (International Labour Organization-O’Reilly, 2007). Frequently individuals with vulnerability do not undertake decent jobs even when they have completed adequate training, and experience career barriers and mistaken assumptions about their capacity to work. These obstacles may be exacerbated as youth age, hindering their labor-market opportunities well into adulthood, and thereby contributing to social exclusion and poverty (Lindsay et al., 2014). This inequality condition represents a main goal and challenge in Europe and across the World, as decent work and the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda (i.e. employment creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue) constitute the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (www.ilo.org). ILO, similarly to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006, emphasizes the pathway to independence and the dignity of decent work and to full social and work inclusion for individuals with vulnerability. To guarantee them a professional life, which is both rich and enriching, ILO (Brewer, 2013) emphasizes some core skills for the world of work (e.g. communication, teamwork, problem-solving skills) that could improve the employability of workers and the productivity of enterprises. Even the World Health Organization (1999) highlights some skills for individuals with vulnerability that could be useful to their social and work inclusion (decision-making and problem-solving; creative thinking and critical thinking; communication and interpersonal skills; self-awareness and empathy; coping with emotions and coping with stress). Much research has been done on the relevance of soft skills in the workplace, for the job success of individual with and without vulnerability (e.g. Klaus, 2010; Lindsay et al., 2014; Robles, 2012; Savitz-Romer, Rowan-Kenyon, & Fancsali, 2015). At this regards, Watts and Watts (2008) found that 85% of job success depends on soft skills, and that hard skills contribute only 15% to one’s success. Moreover, Klaus (2010) observed that technical knowledge contribute only 25% to long-term job success, whereas 75% of depends on soft skills. Based on this, the chapter will focus on life and soft skills for career construction and work inclusion of individuals with disability. After a discussion of theoretical approaches, an international review on this topic will be presented. Lastly, suggestions and career interventions to promote these skills will be discussed and presented.