In a recent post I already discussed the evolving landscape of durable skills and some of the key initiatives and existing frameworks.  In this blog I want to expand on the growing importance of durable skills in higher education and the workforce.

Today’s rapidly evolving educational and professional landscapes, the emphasis on “durable skills”—also known as soft skills—has intensified significantly. These competencies, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, resilience, self-awareness, and leadership, are essential across all industries and educational levels, serving as foundational elements for personal and professional success. This comprehensive exploration delves into the significance of durable skills throughout the educational journey, from admissions to career advancement, and highlights organizations actively integrating these competencies into their programs.

Durable skills encompass a wide variety of cognitive, emotional, and social capabilities critical for success in any job. They include collaboration, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, empathy, initiative, intercultural fluency, oral communication, resilience, and self-directed learning. Unlike technical skills that may become obsolete over time, durable skills are transferable across various roles and industries, remaining relevant throughout one’s career.

The Role of Durable Skills in Higher Education

Admissions Process

Higher education institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of durable skills in their admissions processes. Beyond academic metrics, universities seek applicants who demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and resilience. These attributes suggest a student’s potential to contribute positively to the campus community and adapt to the challenges of higher education.

Curriculum Design

Integrating durable skills into curriculum design is pivotal for preparing students for real-world challenges. Educational institutions are embedding these skills across various disciplines through experiential learning, collaborative projects, and problem-solving activities. This approach ensures that students not only acquire technical knowledge but also develop competencies like communication, critical thinking, and adaptability.

Teaching Methodologies

Effective teaching methodologies that promote durable skills involve active learning strategies, interdisciplinary projects, and opportunities for reflection. Encouraging students to engage in discussions, group work, and real-life problem-solving enhances their ability to collaborate and think critically. Faculty development programs focusing on these pedagogical approaches are essential to create learning environments that nurture durable skills.

Assessment Practices

Traditional assessment methods may not fully capture the development of durable skills. Therefore, educational institutions are adopting alternative assessment practices, such as portfolios, peer evaluations, and self-assessments, to evaluate competencies like creativity, leadership, and resilience. These assessment tools provide a more comprehensive understanding of a student’s abilities and readiness for the workforce.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities play a significant role in developing durable skills. Participation in student organizations, athletics, volunteering, and internships offers practical experiences where students can apply and enhance skills such as teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. These activities complement academic learning and contribute to the holistic development of students.

Career Services

Career services within higher education institutions are increasingly focusing on preparing students to articulate their durable skills to potential employers. Workshops on resume writing, interview preparation, and networking emphasize the importance of showcasing competencies like communication, adaptability, and collaboration. By aligning students’ skill sets with industry demands, career services enhance employability and career readiness.

Credentialing and Recognition

Recognizing and credentialing durable skills are becoming integral to higher education. Digital badges and micro-credentials serve as tangible acknowledgments of a student’s proficiency in specific competencies, providing employers with clear evidence of their abilities. This formal recognition bridges the gap between academic achievements and workforce expectations, facilitating smoother transitions into professional roles.

Alumni Engagement

Engaging alumni in mentorship programs and networking events allows current students to learn from real-world experiences. Alumni can provide insights into how durable skills have influenced their career trajectories, offering valuable perspectives that enrich the educational experience and highlight the long-term importance of these competencies.

Continuous Improvement

Higher education institutions are committed to the continuous improvement of programs that develop durable skills. Regular feedback from students, employers, and faculty informs the evolution of curricula and support services, ensuring that educational offerings remain relevant and effective in cultivating essential competencies.

The Role of Durable Skills in the Workforce

Employer Expectations

Employers are placing a premium on durable skills, recognizing their critical role in organizational success. In an era where technical skills can quickly become outdated due to rapid technological advancements, durable skills provide a stable foundation for adaptability and continuous learning. The ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and lead with empathy is more important than ever in today’s dynamic work environments.

Training and Development Programs

Companies are increasingly integrating durable skills into their training and development programs. For example, Unilever is committed to helping its employees equip themselves with skills for meaningful work in an ever-changing world, focusing on both technical and durable skills.

Similarly, organizations are adopting innovative training approaches, such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance the development of durable skills.

Performance Evaluation

Incorporating durable skills into performance evaluations provides a more holistic assessment of employee contributions. Evaluating competencies like communication, problem-solving, and leadership alongside technical abilities offers a comprehensive view of an employee’s effectiveness and areas for growth. This approach aligns performance metrics with organizational values and goals.

Leadership Development

Durable skills are fundamental to leadership development. Organizations that prioritize these competencies in their leadership training programs cultivate leaders who can inspire teams, navigate complex challenges, and drive innovation. Emphasizing empathy, ethical decision-making, and strategic thinking prepares leaders to guide their organizations effectively.

Team Dynamics

Effective team dynamics hinge on durable skills such as communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution. Teams that excel in these areas are more likely to achieve their objectives, adapt to changes, and maintain a positive work environment. Organizations that foster these skills within teams enhance overall productivity and employee satisfaction.

Customer Relations

Durable skills play a crucial role in customer relations. Employees who exhibit empathy, active listening, and problem-solving abilities can better understand and address customer needs, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Companies in industries like retail, healthcare, and financial services increasingly prioritize training programs focused on these interpersonal skills.

For example, Salesforce has incorporated durable skills training into its Trailhead learning platform, emphasizing customer-centric communication and relationship management. Similarly, Disney Institute provides training on leadership and service excellence, reinforcing the importance of emotional intelligence and adaptability in customer interactions.

Adaptability to Change

With the rapid pace of technological innovation and economic shifts, the ability to adapt is more valuable than ever. Employees must continuously learn new skills, embrace change, and remain resilient in the face of uncertainty. Organizations that foster a culture of lifelong learning empower their workforce to navigate industry disruptions successfully.

Companies like PwC and Deloitte have developed internal training programs to upskill employees in durable skills, ensuring they remain competitive in a fast-changing work environment. PwC’s “New World, New Skills” initiative highlights the necessity of adaptability, critical thinking, and problem-solving to stay ahead in the digital economy.

Organizations and Companies Leading In Durable Skills Assessment and Development

Several organizations and companies are actively working on assessing, training, and credentialing durable skills. Below are key players across different segments.

Some of the organizations and companies assessing durable skills are: 

America Succeeds & CompTIA. America Succeeds has partnered with CompTIA to develop a national competency framework for durable skills. Their research analyzes job postings to identify the most in-demand durable skills. CompTIA’s Workforce Solutions program helps businesses integrate durable skills assessments into their hiring and training processes.

Acuity Insights provides situational judgment assessments (SJAs) such as Casper, which measure non-cognitive skills like empathy, ethical decision-making, and communication. Their tools are widely used in medical and higher education admissions, helping institutions identify students with strong interpersonal and professional attributes.

AstrumU leverages AI and machine learning to create skills profiles for learners. Their platform helps institutions and employers align education and workforce outcomes by assessing and mapping durable skills to job roles.

Other organizations and companies focus more on developing training and simulations for durable skills, for example:

Mursion specializes in immersive training simulations that allow learners to practice difficult conversations in a safe, virtual environment. Their VR-powered scenarios focus on leadership, teamwork, and customer service skills.

BodySwaps offers an immersive training platform using AI and VR to enhance durable skills development. Their modules include role-playing exercises for communication, diversity and inclusion training, and conflict resolution.

Google Career Certificates. Google’s career training programs incorporate modules on problem-solving, teamwork, and communication to complement technical training. Their certificates are increasingly recognized by employers as a measure of job readiness.

There are also companies in charge of credentialing durable skills: 

Education Design Lab has created micro-credentials focused on durable skills such as creative problem-solving, resilience, and intercultural fluency. These credentials are used by universities and employers to validate student competencies beyond traditional degrees.

Credly (by Pearson) provides digital badges to recognize and credential durable skills acquired through professional development and training programs. Their platform connects individuals with employers based on verified skills.

Parchment is  expanding its digital credentialing services to include durable skills certifications, helping students and job seekers showcase their soft skills to employers.

The Future of Durable Skills in Higher Education and the Workforce

As the demand for durable skills continues to rise, educational institutions and employers must collaborate to ensure that students and employees are equipped with the competencies needed for long-term success. The future of education and workforce development will likely include:

Stronger industry-education partnerships: Universities will work more closely with businesses to embed durable skills training into curricula.

Expanded use of AI and VR for skill development: Tools like Mursion and BodySwaps will continue to shape experiential learning in both education and corporate training.

Increased credentialing of durable skills: Digital badges and micro-credentials will become more widely accepted as proof of competencies beyond traditional degrees.

A shift toward holistic hiring and admissions: Employers and universities will place greater emphasis on assessments like SJAs to evaluate durable skills alongside academic and technical achievements.

Other Initiatives in the World of Durable Skills

A number of other assessment organizations focus on assessing specific durable skills as discrete measures.

ACT, for example, provides the WorkKeys assessment which measure both technical and durable skills, reflecting actual workplace demands. This approach extends beyond reading and writing competencies to evaluate a broader range of relevant skills.

CAE, the Council for Aid to Education, developed the College Learning ASsessment (CLA), then improved with the CLA+, and the College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA+) over the last 30 years as early efforts to evaluate durable skills. They offer printable resources submitted online and externally evaluated focused on data literacy, critical reading/evaluation, critiquing an argument, writing effectiveness, and writing mechanics.

ETS is now working to measure and develop durable skills through partnerships with schools, business, and other organizations. In partnership with the Carnegie Foundation, ETS is developing the Skills for the Future initiative, a system to assess skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. The system will capture learning from a variety of sources, including school, extracurricular activities, internships, and jobs. The system will provide insights to help students, families, and educators improve skills over time. One of their solutions is called Futurenav, an AI-powered skills assessment tool that helps organizations identify areas for upskilling and reskilling. It also helps match talent to roles and plan career development. At the same time, Accenture is working with ETS to develop a global model for talent management that focuses on skills-based job readiness. The model will help organizations measure skills and make informed talent decisions.