By Lauren Cole, Stephanie Short, Chynna Cowart, & Stuart Miller | America Succeeds
In an era when technical skills are evolving at an unprecedented pace, there is an important set of durable soft skills that last a lifetime and power entire careers. Durable Skills are a combination of how you use what you know — skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity— as well as character skills like fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership.
Regardless of an individual’s pathway, educational attainment level, or geography, Durable Skills are in high demand by employers.
America Succeeds recently partnered with Emsi Burning Glass to analyze 82 million job postings from the past two years (2019-2020) to quantify the demand for Durable Skills. Building on existing research around 21st-century skills, they grouped the top one hundred related keyword terms into ten Durable Skills competencies. The proprietary data and analyses are sortable by industry, state, and individual employers; additional insights are included within this report.
