Abstract:

We are living in an age where the professional skills and competences of our employees are being developed with the aim to obtain more and more in-depth knowledge in one’s professional field. Competent specialists with profound knowledge in their field are required, and often this knowledge and skills are acquired through hard work and studies. However, not only specific knowledge and skills associated with the particular specialization, but also soft skills are needed for a successful career.

Various studies reveal that many employers are increasingly paying attention to whether an employee possesses soft skills, i.e. if the person is able to successfully develop relationships with colleagues or if s/he is resistant to stress, thus, is able to positively perceive changes, to take responsibility for his/her actions, and to creatively solve problems in atypical situations. Although each person has his/her own genetically inherited characteristics, many skills can be acquired and developed during one’s lifetime, especially in childhood and youth. Children and young people’s participation in brain games, including team brain games, is one of the ways to not only develop soft skills, but also to succeed in the labour market later on in life.

The aim of the research is to describe the process of acquiring and mastering soft skills for building successful career via the analysis of the team brain game “Hit the Target!” [Trāpi simtniekā!] developed by the researchers of Daugavpils University Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences and organized in various schools in Latvia since 2018. The game was devoted to Latvia’s centenary to provide an opportunity for school-age children and young people to experience Latvia, to explore its values, culture and relationships through dynamic and meaningful activities thus strengthening sense of belonging and civic identity, therefore it was included in the national initiative “Latvian School Bag”. The game is also striving for the development of the three main competencies, so called “brain powers”, i.e. focus, remember, and stop and think, as well as young people’s analytical and critical thinking and the ability to cooperate in a team.

Keywords:

Soft skills, brain games, critical thinking, social-emotional learning.