--- title: The Soft Skills “Debate” Is Over description: Meta hosted the Future of Work Summit this week in Washington, D.C. Academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs and experts gathered to hear how immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality (AR and VR) benefit businesses and workers. image: https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hubfs/Forbes.png --- ![EL_Logo](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EL%20Logo%20Assets/EL_Logo.png?width=684&name=EL_Logo.png) [![EL_Logo](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EL%20Logo%20Assets/EL_Logo.png?width=684&name=EL_Logo.png)](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/) - [Log in](https://app.embodiedlabs.com/) - [Help Center](https://resource.embodiedlabs.com/) - [Book a Demo](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/schedule-a-demo) - [Home](https://www.embodiedlabs.com) - [Solutions](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/solutions) - [Overview](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/solutions) - [Immersive Experiences Platform](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/solutions/immersive-experiences-platform) - [Learning Journeys](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/solutions/learning-journeys) - [Co-Creation of Experiences](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/solutions/co-creation) - [Immersive Library](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-library-overview) - [Overview](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-library-overview) - [Alzheimer's Disease](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/alzheimers-disease) - [Customer Service](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/customer-service) - [Dementia & Parkinson's Disease](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/dementia-parkinson) - [Elder Safety & Well-Being](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/elder-safety-well-being) - [End of Life Conversations](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/end-of-life-conversations) - [Home Health Assessments](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/home-health-assessments) - [Social Isolation](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/social-isolation) - [Trans Health & LGBT Aging](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/trans-health-lgbt-aging) - [Vision & Hearing Loss](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experience-library/vision-hearing-loss) - [Industries](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries) - [Overview](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries) - [Senior Services](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries/senior-services) - [Academic Programs](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries/academic-programs) - [Local Government](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries/local-government) - [Corporate Partners](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries/corporate-partners) - [Homebased Care](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/industries/family-caregiving-homebased-care) - [Resources](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-resources-overview) - [Overview](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-resources-overview) - [Webinars](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-resources-overview#webinars) - [Medical Paper](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-resources-overview#white-papers) - [Research & Publications](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/peer-reviewed-journals-publications) - [Free Downloads](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/immersive-experiences-resources-overview#free-downloads) - [News](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news) - [About](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/about) - [About Us](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/about) - [Team](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/team) - [Careers](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/careers) - [Contact Us](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/contact) [Embodied Labs News](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news) #### Filter by: - [All topics](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news) - [Press Clipping](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/press-clipping) - [Video](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/video) - [Blog](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/blog) - [Press Release](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/press-release) - [News](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/news) #### Subscribe to our news # The Soft Skills “Debate” Is Over Jun 6, 2023 in [Press Clipping](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/tag/press-clipping) Excerpt of the article The Soft Skills “Debate” Is Over by [Maria Flynn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mflynn2/), originally published on [forbes.com](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaflynn/2023/05/30/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over/?sh=4af452167308), May 30, 2023. The rapid infusion of AI into almost every aspect of our working world, from health care to manufacturing to design, has resurfaced an old debate about which skills we’ll really need for the workforce of the future. If automation can power an assembly line, complete patient intake, and draft social media posts, what kind of jobs should we be training the next generation to do, and what skills will they need to perform them? What are the skills that are “inherently human” that we need to be doubling down on? The power of AI may be new, but these questions aren’t. When I first joined the Department of Labor in the early 1990s, one of my first assignments was to help roll out the findings from “[What Work Requires of Schools](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED332054.pdf),” a report that named [three foundational skills and five workplace competencies](http://archive.pbl-online.org/end_in_mind/emexplore/charts/scans_skills.htm) that young people needed to develop to succeed in the world of work. The skills, which included utilizing and allocating resources, teamwork and negotiation, and identifying tools for different tasks, launched years of discussion—and my ongoing fascination and frustration—about how we examine, discuss, and implement strategies around what we now commonly refer to as “soft skills.” The term,[ coined by the U.S. Army](https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA089254.pdf) in the early 1970s to differentiate between interpersonal and machinery skills, provokes strong reactions. I’ve fielded many questions throughout my career over which is more important, “soft” or “hard” skills, and the concept has gone through several rebrandings; “durable skills,” “foundational skills,” “employability skills,” and even “21st-century skills” are all used widely across industries. But time has proven that it doesn’t matter what we call them, or even precisely which ones are most important—the core list still looks a lot like it did 30 years ago. What we need to focus on today is how we teach them in educational settings, and assess them in the workplace. Because durable skills—my preferred term—are essential. And in an automation-focused future, they’ll be even more so. Despite research that confirms demand for skills like critical thinking, leadership, collaboration, and communication is growing, companies are struggling to find them among young hires.[ A report](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/employers-say-students-arent-learning-soft-skills-in-college.aspx) from the Society of Human Resources Management observed that while four-year colleges were once considered a sure source for soft-skill development, now nearly 3 in 4 employers say they have a hard time finding graduates with the durable skills they need. And even though more companies are embracing skills-based hiring practices, the ability to accurately assess durable skills remains elusive. The need, however, is urgent; in an increasingly AI and automation-driven workforce, durable skills remain a uniquely human strength and hold significant value. A [new report](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/28/ai-automation-could-impact-300-million-jobs-heres-which-ones.html) estimates AI could impact nearly 300 million jobs globally, in some cases automating up to 45% of required tasks. “Increasingly, machines will perform tasks they are better suited to perform than humans, such as computation, data analysis, and logic,” one expert told the [Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/05/03/the-future-of-jobs-and-jobs-training/). “Functions requiring emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion, and creative judgment and discernment will expand and be increasingly valued in our culture.” So how do we both teach durable skills and create equitable, transferable ways of assessing them? Perhaps ironically, immersive learning innovators have made great strides in using artificial intelligence to build human interpersonal skills. The recent [Meta Future of Work Summit](https://about.fb.com/news/2023/05/how-the-metaverse-is-shaping-the-future-of-work/) highlighted new uses of augmented and virtual reality as an education and training tool; two featured companies, [Embodied Labs](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/) and [Talespin](https://www.talespin.com/), are using immersive learning technology to help health care workers develop communication skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy. \[...\] Read the full article [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaflynn/2023/05/30/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over/?sh=4af452167308)     [Read the full article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaflynn/2023/05/30/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over/?sh=4af452167308) Share this page: [Copy to clipboard Copy page URL](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over&url=https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20Soft%20Skills%20“Debate”%20Is%20Over) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over) [Share via Email App](mailto:yourfriend@company.com?Subject=The%20Soft%20Skills%20“Debate”%20Is%20Over&Body=https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over) [Share via Messenger](https://msng.link/o/?https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over=fm) [Share via WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=The%20Soft%20Skills%20“Debate”%20Is%20Over%20https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/the-soft-skills-debate-is-over) Related Articles [![Five Ways the Metaverse Is Shaping The Future of Work](https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/09_Future-of-Work_Carousel.jpg?fit=2880%2C2160)](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/embodiedlabs-at-meta-future-of-work-summit) May 19, 2023 [Five Ways the Metaverse Is Shaping The Future of Work ›](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2023/05/embodiedlabs-at-meta-future-of-work-summit) [![The Future Of Work In The Metaverse](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ibtimes-logo.png?width=80&name=ibtimes-logo.png)](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2022/08/the-future-of-work-in-the-metaverse) August 24, 2022 [The Future Of Work In The Metaverse ›](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2022/08/the-future-of-work-in-the-metaverse) [![California organizations pioneer ‘immersive’ caregiver training program](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/download.jpg?width=80&name=download.jpg)](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2024/02/california-organizations-pioneer-immersive-caregiver-training-program) February 15, 2024 [California organizations pioneer ‘immersive’ caregiver training program ›](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/news/2024/02/california-organizations-pioneer-immersive-caregiver-training-program) [![EL_Logo](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EL%20Logo%20Assets/EL_Logo.png?width=132&name=EL_Logo.png)](https://www.embodiedlabs.com/) © 2026 Embodied Labs® All rights reserved About - 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