JAKAPA Overview Blog

We measure what matters, and what we measure matters. Our nation’s education system measures academic and technical credentialing instead of soft skills, so many graduates are not ready for work. Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center concluded that 85% of job success comes from having well‐developed soft and people skills, and only 15% comes from technical skills and knowledge. 73% of our nation’s employers still say they cannot find graduates with sufficient soft skills (SHRM), and eight of the ten top skills for 2025 are soft skills (World Economic Forum). 

These skills are not just important for work readiness: soft skills also predict high school and college completion. These skills also have an impact financially because they impact costs related to retention and job performance. 89% of HR directors say soft skills are the number one reason for a bad hire. Deloitte estimates the skills gap will cost the US $2.5 trillion over the next decade ($250 billion annually). 

How can JAKAPA help?

JAKAPA solves the soft skills gap. We are a skills coach in your pocket and measure, train, and track the skills that matter for success. Users take assessments, engage in challenges, access resources, track behaviors and see growth via our web platform or app. Users can view reporting pages that dynamically change and display comparative, growth, engagement, and impact data. Using JAKAPA for a few minutes every day builds soft skills and ensures students are future-ready and your teachers have the skills necessary to teach today’s students. 

JAKAPA measures 32 skills in 5 domains: self-management, cooperation, innovation, emotional resilience, and social engagement. The BESSI Research Group at the University of Illinois identified the skills we measure, train, and track after an exhaustive crosswalk of skills contained in career readiness frameworks. Their research shows that JAKAPA skills can explain variances in life satisfaction, friendship quality, peer acceptance, and other positive personal indicators. As opposed to measuring interests or personality traits, JAKAPA measures skills that can be taught and assessed. We build self-awareness of these skills through our self and peer assessments, so users can better identify and leverage strengths and avoid letting gaps become a liability to success. To gain skills, users can engage with our asynchronous learning system, which provides nine processes that build skills in goal attainment and regulation, emotional resilience, social engagement, cooperation, and innovation. 

Contact JAKAPA today to learn more and schedule a demo to learn how JAKAPA can help your district ensure your students are future-ready!