About the

Durable Skills Advantage Framework

Building the Foundation:

Embarking on the Journey

Our journey began in 2021 with a bold hypothesis – that every job, across every sector, demands Durable Skills. In partnership with Lightcast (previously Emsi Burning Glass), America Succeeds analyzed more than 80 million job postings for the top 100 related keyword terms grouped into ten Durable Skills competencies. The findings were compelling, confirming the critical role Durable Skills play in shaping the workforce landscape.

National Research Findings

We studied

80 million

job postings from 2020-2021

Across

22 sectors

using SOC-2 occupational data

77%

of those job postings requested at least one Durable Skill

61.7 Million Jobs Demanded Durable Skills

7 of the 10

most-requested skills were Durable Skills.

The TOP 5 Durable Skills

were requested 4.7x more than the top 5 hard skills.

Leadership & Communication

competencies are in highest demand.

Almost 45M US job postings

requested Communications.

Planting a Flag through Partnership

CompTIA & America Succeeds

In March 2022, America Succeeds and CompTIA launched a partnership to bring employers from various industries together to develop a common lexicon for Durable Skills. The ultimate goal of this partnership is to identify effective methods for learners to enhance and validate this skill set to advance in their career pathways and then to scale these innovations broadly.

“

Employers clearly recognize the importance and value of recruiting people with solid Durable Skills, especially in a tight labor market with little margin for error in hiring decisions. We’re committed to finding solutions to solve this dilemma in a way that eliminates barriers and creates opportunities for a more inclusive group of job candidates.

”

Todd Thibodeaux, President & CEO, CompTIA

Durable Skills Advantage Framework Development Process

Phase I:

SME (Subject Matter Experts) Convening

In collaboration with industry leaders from companies like Amazon and Johnson & Johnson, we conducted a weeklong workshop in January 2023. These SMEs crafted the initial rubric, defining the 110 Durable Skills competencies across four proficiency levels.

Phase II:

Feedback Sessions and Equity-Centered Design

From February to April of 2023, we engaged in extensive feedback sessions, involving hundreds of stakeholders, including business and educator leaders. Simultaneously, Common Group, an equity and human-centered design firm, conducted qualitative research to ensure equitable practices.

Phase III:

Educator Advisory

We hosted three virtual Educator Advisory meetings, involving various education sector professionals. They provided valuable input on the definitions crafted by the SMEs and made recommendations regarding wording, framing, context, and the use of the rubric in the education space. One of the key contributions of the Educator Advisory was the focus on aligning education professionals’ expectations with business demands.

Phase IV:

Synthesis for Perfection

The fourth and final phase culminated in synthesizing feedback from 12 separate rubric sessions, CompTIA’s survey, and Common Group’s research. This meticulous process resulted in the integration of diverse perspectives into the final Durable Skills rubric.