PDC 301: Mastering Soft Skills for OEHS Success – NEW!
Sat, 5/30: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM CDT
P301
Professional Development Courses (PDCs)
P301
Professional Development Courses (PDCs)
Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center
CM Credit Hours: 3.5
Description
*Please note: PDCs are at an additional cost, and preregistration is required*
To register, please visit: https://aihaconnect.org/register
Most OEHS professionals are trained to master technical details such as sampling strategies, exposure assessments and regulatory frameworks, but success depends just as much on how well they communicate and connect with others. Consider this: while 77 percent of people fear public speaking, professionals in this field are expected to deliver confident briefings, negotiate with leadership and inspire action on critical safety issues. Technical knowledge may open the door, but soft skills determine whether the message truly lands.
This session, ranked among the top 10 at AIHA Connect for two consecutive years, has now been expanded into a professional development course. It builds on those insights with practical tools tailored for OEHS professionals.
A national survey of employers identified the most in-demand soft skills in today's workforce, including communication, customer service, time management and analytical thinking. In this course, participants won't just learn about these skills—they will guide the direction of the session by selecting the ones they most want to explore and refine. Each chosen skill will be broken down into its technical components, with structured training techniques and real-world applications specific to OEHS practice.
This interactive format puts control in the hands of the learners while ensuring practical, relevant takeaways they can immediately apply in their professional environments
*Please note: Only participants registering for two (2) half-day PDCs on the same day will receive a box lunch. **Please note: power strips will not be provided at each attendee's seat; however, charging stations for laptops will be provided in each course room.
To register, please visit: https://aihaconnect.org/register
Most OEHS professionals are trained to master technical details such as sampling strategies, exposure assessments and regulatory frameworks, but success depends just as much on how well they communicate and connect with others. Consider this: while 77 percent of people fear public speaking, professionals in this field are expected to deliver confident briefings, negotiate with leadership and inspire action on critical safety issues. Technical knowledge may open the door, but soft skills determine whether the message truly lands.
This session, ranked among the top 10 at AIHA Connect for two consecutive years, has now been expanded into a professional development course. It builds on those insights with practical tools tailored for OEHS professionals.
A national survey of employers identified the most in-demand soft skills in today's workforce, including communication, customer service, time management and analytical thinking. In this course, participants won't just learn about these skills—they will guide the direction of the session by selecting the ones they most want to explore and refine. Each chosen skill will be broken down into its technical components, with structured training techniques and real-world applications specific to OEHS practice.
This interactive format puts control in the hands of the learners while ensuring practical, relevant takeaways they can immediately apply in their professional environments
*Please note: Only participants registering for two (2) half-day PDCs on the same day will receive a box lunch. **Please note: power strips will not be provided at each attendee's seat; however, charging stations for laptops will be provided in each course room.
Course Outline
• Introduction to soft skills as force multipliers in OEHS practice
o Overview of survey data on the most in-demand workplace skills, including communication, collaboration, time management and analytical thinking.
• Participant-driven skill selection
o Learners choose the soft skills most relevant to their professional needs through a survey at the beginning of the course.
• Technical breakdown of selected skills
o Each chosen skill is explored through structured, scenario-based exercises that highlight its technical components.
• Practical training action items
o Presenters lead discussions on methods to improve selected skills, ensuring participants leave with tangible strategies for professional application.
• Coverage of top-requested skills
o The session aims to address three to four of the most requested soft skills.
• Integration into OEHS practice
o Strategies for applying soft skills directly in audits, assessments and professional engagements.
• Guided exercises and peer feedback
o Activities designed to support immediate skill refinement in real-world OEHS contexts.
• Individualized action plans
o Participants conclude the course by creating personalized plans to continue developing their selected soft skills.
o Overview of survey data on the most in-demand workplace skills, including communication, collaboration, time management and analytical thinking.
• Participant-driven skill selection
o Learners choose the soft skills most relevant to their professional needs through a survey at the beginning of the course.
• Technical breakdown of selected skills
o Each chosen skill is explored through structured, scenario-based exercises that highlight its technical components.
• Practical training action items
o Presenters lead discussions on methods to improve selected skills, ensuring participants leave with tangible strategies for professional application.
• Coverage of top-requested skills
o The session aims to address three to four of the most requested soft skills.
• Integration into OEHS practice
o Strategies for applying soft skills directly in audits, assessments and professional engagements.
• Guided exercises and peer feedback
o Activities designed to support immediate skill refinement in real-world OEHS contexts.
• Individualized action plans
o Participants conclude the course by creating personalized plans to continue developing their selected soft skills.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, the participant will be able to:
• Analyze how soft skills amplify the technical impact of OEHS work and improve outcomes in real-world settings.
• Apply structured techniques to develop specific soft skills that enhance personal effectiveness and team collaboration.
• Demonstrate practical strategies for integrating soft skills into technical tasks such as audits, exposure assessments, reporting and stakeholder communication.
• Create a personalized action plan for ongoing soft skill growth that aligns with career goals and organizational objectives.
• Analyze how soft skills amplify the technical impact of OEHS work and improve outcomes in real-world settings.
• Apply structured techniques to develop specific soft skills that enhance personal effectiveness and team collaboration.
• Demonstrate practical strategies for integrating soft skills into technical tasks such as audits, exposure assessments, reporting and stakeholder communication.
• Create a personalized action plan for ongoing soft skill growth that aligns with career goals and organizational objectives.
Value Added
Participants will leave with practical techniques, actionable strategies and a personalized action plan for soft skill development.
Learning Aids
Smartphone
Content Level
Intermediate
Core Competencies
Career Development Pathways
Keywords
Education and training
Session Availability
In-person
Specialized Tracks
Student and Early Career Professional Track
Targeted Audience
Practitioner
Transfer of Knowledge
Group activities
Hands-on demonstrations and practicum
Lecture Only
Practical Application
Small Group Discussion