Strengthening durable skills in the classroom and workforce

As AI-driven technologies and automation become more prevalent, employers seek professionals whose skills can help society adapt and advance in a changing world. These in-demand skills —  such as creativity, collaboration and problem-solving — align with the types of attributes that educators have found conducive to students’ academic and career success.

An analysis by America Succeeds and Lightcast, previously Emsi Burning Glass, found that 7 of the 10 most requested skills in job postings are focused on what are called durable skills. As more K–12 educators and school systems explore ways to integrate these skills into their curricula, the ASU Professional Educator Learning Hub has launched courses in teaching durable skills based on the Pathsmith™   framework developed by America Succeeds, a non-profit education advocacy organization that operates at the intersection of education and general workforce needs. 

The online courses came from a collaboration between Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation  and America Succeeds. In this Q&A, MLFC instructor Sarah Carranza and America Succeeds President and Co-Founder Tim Taylor explain what durable skills are and why it’s important for educators and education systems to integrate these approaches.

Educators are invited to sign up for the instructor-guided 2025-26 Innovation Studio: Teaching Durable Skills series, starting Sept. 15. 

What are durable skills?

Taylor (America Succeeds): We started defining durable skills by listening to what employers say about the qualities needed for workforce and career advancement. Durable skills are a combination of how you use what you know — skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity, for example — as well as character skills like fortitude, growth mindset and leadership. We believe that students who acquire or sharpen these skills are in a better position to succeed academically and professionally.

How does this affect how and what students learn in school?

Taylor: Durable skills aren't about replacing academic learning. The acquisition of knowledge in fields such as social studies, math and reading are essential foundations to the advancement of our society. However, employers are increasingly interested in ensuring that students are better prepared in skills such as creativity, adaptability and critical thinking that can translate to different workforce and career roles. It’s also becoming even more critical to prepare youths to thrive and contribute to a world where AI is becoming more prevalent. As workforce roles and tasks evolve, there will be an even greater need to develop these kinds of durable human skills that can help manage and coordinate these transformations. Schools and educators we have worked with find that approaches such as service-learning and project-based learning provide opportunities to develop these kinds of skills.

What research supports the integration of durable skills in education?

Carranza (MLFC): It’s important to view durable skills as complementary to academic learning, with both immediate and longer-term benefits. Research specific to durable skills may be still evolving; however, we do see promising related research that indicates a connection with the development of these kinds of skills contributing to improved student grades, test scores and attendance. Of note, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and ETS recently announced they are developing assessment and analytics tools that can be applied to measuring a range of skills considered to be essential to succeeding in K–12, postsecondary education and beyond, which includes durable skills. Doing so will provide further foundation for research and help teachers and schools assess student development of these skills.

What are districts and states doing to integrate durable skills?

Taylor: A growing number of schools and districts are integrating career readiness and life skills into their curricula. In 2015, the Cajon Valley Union School District launched a K–8 initiative (World of Work) that helps students explore career interests while identifying how skills such as organization, research and interpersonal communication connect to various professions. The district is in the process of working with partners to evaluate these skills, aiming to create digital transcripts that document both academic achievements and real-world competencies gained through schoolwork, jobs, clubs and volunteering. States are also in various stages of integrating durable skills. For example, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has made a point of noting that durable skills are essential to every occupation in the state. They recently updated their Portrait of a Graduate that emphasizes student academic success along with student’s ability to adapt, to collaborate, communicate, think critically, show empathy, learn and take personal responsibility. 

How was the durable skills specialization developed? 

Carranza: For this specialization, MLFC faculty and staff were tasked with creating a comprehensive professional learning resource based on America Succeeds’ durable skills framework. Our objective was to equip K–12 educators, and others, with the knowledge and strategies to teach durable skills effectively. The specialization incorporates elements of MLFC’s many resources as a top-ranked school of education. We found, for example, that durable skills can be taught with resources developed in our college through the Center for Whole Child Education and ASU’s Principled Innovation initiative, which started at MLFTC, and we integrated these approaches in alignment with the framework. 

We also developed this specialization to be applicable to a range of learning-focused groups. The anticipated audience for this specialization includes professional educators and pre-service and early career educators. It also includes community educators, who are youth-serving professionals and volunteers, such as academic tutors, mentors and reading volunteers, who provide capacity and insight in service of deepening and personalizing student learning.

How can educators integrate durable skills into the classroom?

Carranza: The full suite of courses are based on America Succeed’s 10 defined durable skills and provides guidance on integrating durable skills into lessons and current pedagogical practices. Through project-based learning, for example, students will collaborate, problem-solve, and use critical thinking, creativity and metacognition to solve real-world problems. Similarly, history lessons can incorporate debates or role-playing exercises that build communication, creativity and metacognition. Math teachers can incorporate financial literacy exercises, which develop both mathematical proficiency and decision-making skills. Integrated projects and service learning can also provide opportunities for students to develop skills while engaging with community  topics and issues that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.

Learn more 

2025–26 Innovation Studio: Teaching Durable Skills (Start date: Sept. 15, 2025)
Focus on four durable skills over the school year. Take one or both courses.

This fully online, instructor-guided professional learning series is designed for K–12 educators  who want to build students’ leadership, character, communication and mindfulness — skills that enhance student outcomes, and that are increasingly part of school and district frameworks like Portrait of a Graduate. What to expect:

• A year of putting into practice what you learn, starting with the Fall course on Leadership and Character
• A convenient self-paced learning approach, with set deadlines and an instructor facilitator
• Live, online cohort sessions, to connect and collaborate with fellow educators
• Ready-to-use strategies 
• Insights from schools already leading on durable skills
• Alignment with academic goals