Soft Skills for the 21st Century: Defining a Framework for Navigating Human-Centered Development in an AI-Driven World

In this open access book, the authors embark on a ground breaking exploration of the often-elusive realm of soft skills, addressing the challenges posed by technology and the evolving workplace. With well-founded research, the book navigates the complex landscape of academic and non-academic perceptions, offering a critical analysis of the evolving definitions and classifications of soft skills. The heart of the book lies in the Delphi research methodology that helps uncover 30 key soft skills for the 21st century. The subsequent chapters redefine, categorize, and model these skills, introducing rubrics and a tree model that showcases their interconnected nature. This structured approach provides educators, trainers, and professionals with a comprehensive framework for understanding and developing soft skills tailored to the demands of the modern world. As the book concludes, it emphasizes the enduring importance of soft skills in the face of technological advances, offering a vital resource for educators, trainers, professionals, and policymakers seeking to foster ethical decision-making and effective relationships in today's dynamic landscape.