Strengthening Soft Skills in Practice: What Works, What’s Missing, What’s Next

Soft skills such as communication, active listening, empathy, feedback, and facilitation are essential to high-quality early childhood practice, yet they remain among the most challenging competencies to develop intentionally. In this ECOS event, partners from Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia share insights from the Erasmus+ project Soft Skills for High Quality Education, which explored practical approaches to strengthening soft skills within professional learning communities. Drawing on two and a half years of implementation, the discussion highlights what worked, what challenges emerged, and what is still needed to support soft skills development across the workforce. The event also introduces practical resources developed through the project and considers how stronger professional learning communities can ultimately contribute to better outcomes for young children and their families.