ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the roles of external stakeholders in developing soft skills for current students in Vietnamese universities and identifies challenges to participation, using two complementary studies. A qualitative study conducted in six universities shows that external stakeholders are involved in curriculum-based, extracurricular, and work-integrated learning activities to help develop students’ soft skills, which are conceptualized as work-readiness skills in the higher education system. However, it is difficult to involve these stakeholders because of a lack of connections with industry, external stakeholders’ willingness, and a number of issues related to good governance, leadership, and management. A quantitative study suggests that alumni, as representatives of external stakeholders, are willing to assist their university in developing soft skills for current students through various tasks, but they are concerned about their expertise and the benefits they may get from such participation, and their perceived connectedness with the university’s soft-skills implementation. The chapter discusses some ways to foster the contribution of external stakeholders, mostly alumni, to develop soft skills for current students.
