The Teaching of Soft Communication Skills in Entrepreneurship Development Courses at the +2 Level in India

Abstract

Entrepreneurs play an important role in the economic development of emerging economies such as India, and Entrepreneurship Development Programs (EDP) at various life stages boost it. EDP’s impact at the +2 level is strategic and timely as it adds self-sufficiency to the young who are either forced to or willingly take up entrepreneurship after their +2 education. Creating a new venture and the sea of uncertainties and risks involved in entrepreneurship can be daunting and frustrating, testing the tenacity of the +2 students’ soft skills, especially soft communication skills. Soft communication skill helps in information gathering, customer handling, teamwork, communicating with stakeholders, establishing relationships, and in tackling the challenges involved in venture creation. This paper thus argues for the teaching of soft communication skills in entrepreneurship development courses at the + 2 level, and highlights the need for and benefits of taking such initiatives, whilst suggesting certain broad guidelines in this regard.