Research: Soft Skills Matter

Many school district leaders are adopting the Life Ready Student model to address the gap between K-12 education and workforce needs. In 2019, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) highlighted this issue, focusing on two key questions: How can schools bridge the gap in soft skills—also known as durable skills such as time management and resourcefulness—and how can education and business leaders collaborate to better support students?

The future workforce landscape shaped by AI

As discussions and research on these critical questions continue, artificial intelligence (AI)—particularly generative or Gen AI (a type of AI that uses machine learning to create new content, such as text, images, music, videos, and code)—has rapidly emerged as a transformative and unavoidable force. It is redefining the skills schools must emphasize to prepare students for their postsecondary careers and lives.

Researchers have reported some compelling statistics underscoring AI’s profound impact on the workforce:

·       A 2020 MIT global survey of over 3,000 respondents across 29 industries and 112 countries found that 87% of global organizations believe AI technologies will give them a competitive edge.

·       According to a 2024 report from Exploding Topics, 77% of companies are either using or exploring the use of AI in their businesses, while 83% identified AI as a top priority in their business plans.

·       Forbes reported that 400 million workers globally could be displaced by AI. A 2024 Forbes Advisor survey shows that 77% of respondents are concerned AI will lead to job losses within the next 12 months.

A 2024 study, “How Gen AI Is Already Impacting the Labor Market,” published by Harvard Business Review, suggests that the introduction of tools like ChatGPT and AI-driven image generators led to almost immediate declines in job postings for online gig workers across various roles, especially in automation-prone fields.

Researchers analyzed nearly
1.4 million job postings on a major global freelancing platform between July 2021 and July 2023. Their findings showed that after ChatGPT's launch, writing jobs experienced the largest decline (30%), followed by software, app, and web development (21%), and engineering (10%).

Why durable skills matter

Recent AI-related data emphasize the growing need to equip students with adaptable, future-ready skills to succeed in an AI-driven workforce. Durable skills—commonly known as “soft skills” or “employability skills”—are the ability to effectively use resources, manage time, and seize opportunities to achieve meaningful outcomes. Focusing on these skills prepares students to meet the demands of today’s job market while empowering them to adapt and thrive in the face of future challenges.

Durable skills include critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity, communication, adaptability, and collaboration.

Unlike technical skills, which are often tied to specific tasks, tools, or technologies, durable skills are universally applicable across industries and professions. While AI excels in processing data, automating repetitive tasks, and optimizing workflows, it cannot replicate uniquely human qualities such as emotion, nuanced decision-making, or ethical judgment—qualities rooted in durable skills. This enduring relevance is what makes them “durable.”

Teaching and learning durable skills

Students begin exploring careers in middle school, engaging in hands-on activities to develop durable skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, adaptability, communication, collaboration, and creativity, according to a 2020 report by Advance CTE. Nearly all public school districts offer career and technical education (CTE) programs to students at the high school level. CTE provides an effective platform for students to acquire durable skills.

CTE incorporates project-based learning, personalized experiential learning, work-based learning, internships, and mentorships. As an interdisciplinary approach, CTE enhances skills like communication, ethical reasoning, and adaptability.

To ensure students’ long-term employability and success, school leaders could consider the following strategies:

·       New pedagogies: Durable skills are best cultivated through real-world practice, or “learning by doing,” which is not widely adopted in schools. Traditional pedagogies of reading and lectures, designed for the knowledge era, must evolve. Educators need training and support to implement practice-based learning models effectively.

·       Personalized learning: Each student should develop a tailored set of durable skills aligned with their career goals. For instance, negotiation skills may be crucial for a sales career but less relevant for research roles. Unlike a one-size-fits-all approach in academic subjects, this personalized model requires scalable tools and educator training.

·       Feedback and reflection: Durable skills grow through diverse experiences and intentional reflection on lessons learned, incorporating feedback from others. This approach demands active data collection, analysis, and greater student ownership of the learning process—areas often overlooked in traditional pedagogies.