STEERus Launches World’s First Soft Skills Academy

On Feb 17, 2021

STEERus INC, an edtech startup based in River Vale, announced the launch of the STEERus Soft Skills Academy, the world’s first solution for the formal instruction of soft skills and life skills. STEERus is the first company to bring the executive leadership coaching experience to youth, the first to offer a stepwise guided path for life-long career development from selection to advancement through transition, and the first solution to combine personal and professional development.

The structured curriculum in combination with a proprietary lesson format has been designed to enable students to successfully transition from school to work. STEERus aims to be students’ first choice and life-long partner in career development. Students begin by learning about their paths to make an informed choice, then learn the essential workplace competencies to prepare to enter the workforce and will progress through leadership coaching to thrive and advance in their careers or transition to other fields or roles. Each coaching journey is unique and can be customized based on the needs of the student.

According to Gallup, US employers are losing more than $1 trillion every year from losses in recruitment, productivity, and retention — much of which is because of new employees’ fundamental lack of soft skills, not technical skills. And more than one-third of young employees are routinely late or work, with 22% ghosting their new employers as “no-shows” on their first day on the job, and another 23% who quit within the first month.

“Critical soft skills like EQ, resilience, communication and adaptability aren’t being formally taught in schools,” said Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, the only two-time leader of the global Thinkers 50 and the world’s #1 executive coach. He opined, “Today’s generation students aren’t being instructed on these essential skills, yet they are expected to thrive Day 1 at their first internship or job. In support of our next generation of leaders, I have offered to donate my complete body of work, accumulated through decades of coaching executives, to STEERus.”

Prior to the onslaught of COVID-19, teens were spending an average of seven hours per day consuming social media. Since the pandemic began, fewer than one in five students is spending four hours or more in school. COVID-19 is negatively impacting both academics and learning through social interaction, which has led to a sharp decline in mental health. More than one-third of US teens are clinically depressed, half are on anti-anxiety medication and self-harm is increasing dramatically year over year.

“COVID has significantly altered how and where we work, making it even more challenging for new graduates to succeed in the workplace without these critical life and workplace skills. We have a grand vision – to coach the world. That’s why our Soft Skills Academy is free to all students and educators worldwide,” said Dr. Loralyn Mears, author, founder and CEO of STEERus. “Our scalable learning framework is designed to meet students where they are today and to also accommodate adult learning and upskilling needs.” The company has assembled a roster of experienced coaches who are each contributing world-class content and their time as a commitment to the success of the next generation of leaders.

For free access to the STEERus Soft Skills Academy, educators and students are invited to visit Steerus.io to register for an access code. Students and educators must create a profile using their school email addresses — a requirement for free access. The content has been designed for asynchronous learning by students aged 14 and up but also offers synchronous learning through group coaching sessions. Elementary school teachers are incorporating the content into their lesson plans for children in grades 4-8. New content is added weekly: the library of Coaching Capsules will continue to grow as the company expands.

In addition to free access to the STEERus Soft Skills Academy, the company offers fee-based professional development services including private and group coaching, classroom workshops (currently virtual) plus onboarding of interns and new hires.

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

Related Articles: