Investing $40,000 plus in a college education does little good without the so called soft-skills.

They’re a group of attributes as well as abilities needed to communicate — and work with — team members, colleagues, or even customers .

Some call them people skills or interpersonal skills.

In reality, they are basic building blocks to also be an effective part of society as well as thriving in general.

What brings this up is a new report.

The bottom line is Generation Zoomers, or Gen Z for short, right out of college are being fired by six in 10 employers just months after being hired.

The report, by the way, of 1,000 business leaders wasn’t conducted by an old school research agency. It was by intelligent.com.

If you’ve never heard of them, then you’re not hoping to be an up and coming Gen Z professional.

The platform is dedicated specifically with helping Gen Z professionals “navigate the future of work.”

And judging by the survey’s result, that future is not good overall for Gen Z.

Half of the responding 1,000 hiring leaders cite lack of motivation and its kissing cousin, initiative, as to why things aren’t working out with Gen Z hires.

One in six bosses are now hesitant to hiring fresh college grads.

One in seven say they likely will avoid hiring them for the foreseeable future.

One in five say they can’t handle the workload.

75 percent contend some or all of their recent grad hires have been unsatisfactory in some way that is seriously problematic.

They are often late to work and meetings, use language inappropriate for the workplace, and fail to wear office-appropriate clothing.

Also on the work issues list is being unorganized, unprofessional, and lacking reasonable communicating skills.

All of this has led to more than half of the 1,000 hiring surveyed to conclude Gen Z grads not being prepared for work.

The lack of soft skills — that also includes teamwork, adaptability, problem solving, conflict management, and the ability to read others’ emotions — were a growing issue before the pandemic shutdowns.

They mushroomed during and after the pandemic.

Distance learning and remote workings allowed shortcomings to establish deeper roots.

It didn’t help that a worker shortage happened at the same time.

And now that the job market is tightening up a bit, employers no longer need to tolerate such shortfalls that are detrimental to the workplace.

What is laughable about all this is a small but growing number of colleges realize that after taking $40,000 to $100,000 from students over four years that they aren’t suitable for the workplace.

As a result, college have started to offering classes in basic workplace networking skills.

You can trace the problem back to public schools and parents.

That said, the schools deserve less of the blame than you might think.

Manteca Unified, as an example, has stressed the most basic soft skills for years.

Those include time management such as being to school and class on time, interpersonal skills, behavior in groups, and dependability.

Vocational programs quadruple down on the soft skills.

And they have done so to the point that a number of potential employers that work with the district between soft and hard skills have no issue with hiring Manteca Unified grads.

Of course, soft skills are the hallmark of a well-run classroom. And they are amplified in team sports and other extra-curricular activities.

What sets Manteca Unified as well as most school districts apart is they haven’t, for want of a better phrase, gone with the woke concept du jour flow when it comes to basic behavior.

It is why most districts in the Northern San Joaquin Valley have much higher graduation rates than the state average and better “dashboard data” when it comes to discipline and relative school safety.

And they don’t do so by holding steadfast to “the old ways”.

Old school values that have always made sense whether it is being on time or unacceptable behavior toward others plus more progressive concepts validated by function as well as acceptance of cultural differences are blended together.

It is measured management of schools, if you will.

It all underscores the appeal of raising families on this side of the Altamont Pass.

Home prices are the main driver.

But close behind it are the schools.

There may not be entire campuses that can go toe-to-toe with magnet campuses in the Silicon Valley, but overall there is a legitimate argument that many schools on this side of the Altamont have a stronger grasp of the soft skill things as well as being safer places to learn.

If not, people would not be plunking down $900,000 a pop for homes.

People need a place they can afford to live but they are not going to pour their money into a hell hole to do so.

And given homebuyers are mostly families, schools matter.

While there is a demand for the highest performing school possible, the reality is schools that perform just reasonably well academically and are solid in foundational skills and have offerings that include extra-curricular activities that can develop the whole person and their ability to function and succeed in society aren’t exactly a dime a dozen anymore.

The world still needs standards to function and communicate.

Somewhere along the line the concept that one can be 100 percent self-centered, do things their own way, and have contempt for others is conducive to succeeding in society has gained momentum.

The danger of that, of course, is when the rest of the world is no longer at the mercy of such an attitude, people get fired several months into a job or don’t get hired at all.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com