Durable Skills: Why transferable and resilient skills are crucial and how universities can actually teach them

Most universities are providing students with an education that will be outdated and irrelevant by the time they graduate. Durable skills, though, are a set of competencies that are transferable across contexts and resilient over time. These skills, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and ramping up on new topics quickly, are crucial: seven out of the 10 most requested capabilities in job postings are durable skills (America Succeeds, 2021) and 91% of employers struggle to fill a position because of a skills gap (Monster, 2022). This session will discuss how to identify, teach, and assess durable skills to positively impact students’ careers and society at large.