Integrasi Soft Skills dalam Kurikulum Perkuliahan:

Sebuah Studi tentang Pengurangan Pengangguran dan Persiapan Mahasiswa Universitas Negeri
Makassar Menyongsong Era Pasar Bebas

Muh. Istwal
Affiliation
muhitswal@gmail.com

Winda Aulia
Affiliation
windaaulia.ilyas0202@gmail.com

Lely Novia
Affiliation lelynovia@unm.ac.id

Corresponding Author
(Winda Aulia)

ABSTRACT Introduction
This study focuses on the reduction of unemployment and the preparation of students at Universitas
Negeri Makassar to thrive in the free market era. The research aims to explore the integration of soft skills
within the university curriculum. Soft skills are essential for students' personal and professional
development, and their incorporation into the curriculum can improve students' employability and
competitiveness in the job market. The study will employ a qualitative research method, focusing on the
experiences of students and educators in implementing soft skill development programs. The findings will
provide insights into the best practices for integrating soft skills into the curriculum and the challenges
faced by students and educators in the process. The study will also suggest recommendations for
improving the curriculum to better equip students with the necessary soft skills for success in their careers
and personal lives.

b. Theoretical Framework/Literature Review

In this research, we use Social Learning Theory to analyze data and explain the findings, and integrate it
with literature that emphasizes the importance of integrating soft skills in the college curriculum. Our
discussion highlights that although this integration is important to prepare students to face the challenges
of work in the 21st century, there are still obstacles such as difficulty thinking and a lack of tools to
support online learning. We suggest various efforts to develop students' soft skills, including providing
guidance, motivation and real examples to students, as well as providing organizational and
extracurricular facilities.

c. Research Problems
It contains questions or statements about research concerns formulated based on the research gap
(optional).
1. How can the integration of soft skills in the Makassar State University lecture curriculum affect
unemployment reduction and student preparation?
2. What is the impact of integrating soft skills in the lecture curriculum on students' soft skills
abilities?
3. What obstacles might there be in integrating soft skills in the lecture curriculum at Makassar State
University?
4. How to develop students' soft skills through various efforts, such as providing guidance,
motivation, encouragement, and emphasizing soft skills values?
5. What is the effectiveness of the integration of soft skills in the Makassar State University lecture
curriculum in preparing students to face the challenges of the free market?

Methods
1. Developing extracurricular programs: This approach includes creating extracurricular programs
that focus on developing soft skills. This program can take the form of workshops, seminars or training
that can help students develop soft skills.
2. Integrating soft skills in the curriculum: This approach includes integrating soft skills in the
lecture curriculum. This can be done through developing materials, activities and evaluations that focus
on developing soft skills.

Result and Discussion

In this research, we found that the integration of soft skills in the Makassar State University lecture
curriculum can improve students' soft skills abilities. Qualitative data from interviews, observations, and
documentation related to the integration of soft skills in learning shows that the strategies used in
integrating soft skills mostly use discovery learning. However, there are several obstacles in integrating
soft skills, such as difficulty thinking, lack of self-confidence, students' personalities that stand out in
negative ways, and a lack of tools to support brave learning for students.

For the development of student soft skills, we consider efforts such as providing guidance, motivation,
encouragement and emphasizing the values of students' soft skills, providing real examples to students,
providing facilities for students in the organizational and extracurricular fields as well as providing
supporting materials and tools. learning can be done.
In the discussion, we assumed that the integration of soft skills in the Makassar State University lecture
curriculum could help students face work challenges in the 21st century. However, we also reminded that
there are several obstacles that need to be faced, such as difficulty thinking, lack of self-confidence,
student personality. which stands out in negative terms, and the lack of bold learning support tools for
students. We also assume that developing students' soft skills can be done through the various efforts
mentioned.

Conclusion
The integration of soft skills in the curriculum of Universitas Negeri Makassar's students is crucial in
preparing them for the free market era. The study highlights the significance of soft skills in reducing
unemployment rates among graduates. By incorporating soft skills into the curriculum, the university
can equip students with essential skills that are highly valued by employers, making them more
competitive in the job market.

The findings of this study suggest that the integration of soft skills can lead to a reduction in
unemployment rates among graduates. This is because soft skills such as communication,
teamwork, problem-solving, and time management are highly sought after by employers. By
incorporating these skills into the curriculum, the university can ensure that its graduates are better
equipped to meet the demands of the job market.

Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of preparing students for the free market era.
The integration of soft skills into the curriculum can help students develop the skills they need to
succeed in a rapidly changing job market. This is particularly important in Indonesia, where the job
market is becoming increasingly competitive.
In conclusion, the integration of soft skills into the curriculum of Universitas Negeri Makassar's
students is a crucial step in preparing them for the free market era. By incorporating soft skills into
the curriculum, the university can equip students with the essential skills they need to succeed in
the job market, reducing unemployment rates and preparing them for the challenges of the free
market era.

References
Chikeleze, M., Johnson, I., & Gibson, T. (2018). Let's Argue: Using Debate to Teach Critical Thinking and
Communication Skills to Future Leaders. Journal of Leadership Education, 17(2).

Pham, T., & Soltani, B. (2021). Enhancing Student Education Transitions and Employability. Routledge.

Srinivasan, S. (2022). Role of soft skills development programme on employable skills of management
students in bengaluru.

Maria Hagan, J., & Wassink, J. (2016). New skills, new jobs: Return migration, skill transfers, and
business formation in Mexico. Social Problems, 63(4), 513-533.

Pai, S., & Mayya, S. (2022). A Systematic Literature Review on Training Higher Education Students for
Soft Skills. International Journal of Management, Technology and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 7(2), 97-142.