Introduction. Amid rapid changes in the labour market, the importance of ‘soft skills’ is growing, making them a key factor for success in professional activities with increased automation and digitalisation of work processes. However, the challenge of assessing soft skills poses barriers to the effective planning of educational programmes and recruitment strategies.
Aim. Identification of problems related to the assessment of soft skills in the educational and professional fields, and the proposal of possible solutions.
Methods. The study used comparative analysis of existing approaches to soft skills assessment in educational programmes and recruitment processes, based on both Russian and international practices.
Results. Key issues identified include the low standardisation of assessment methods and the lack of objective metrics. The introduction of comprehensive techniques is recommended, incorporating elements such as real-work simulations, group projects, gamified formats, and automated behaviour analysis.
Scientific novelty. This study presents a systematic approach to addressing these challenges by integrating educational and professional methods of soft skills assessment.
Practical significance. The results of the study can be used to improve educational programmes of vocational training, including the training of professional skills assessment specialists.