Aim/Purpose
To help enable educators to use technology to improve durable skills. We develop a certificate that uses virtual reality and artificial intelligence, designed to improve durable skills in public speaking and interpersonal communication.

Background
Recent surveys of employers indicate that graduates lack durable skills. They report that graduates have difficulty communicating with customers in person and online. They also report a decline in professionalism in public settings. More needs to be done to address this issue, as it has become a reason graduates lose their jobs soon after being hired. Higher education needs to address this concern to ensure that students are prepared for the workforce. This involves both setting up programs to increase training within courses or the curriculum and providing value to stakeholders.

Methodology
A literature review on virtual reality pedagogy was conducted to identify suitable technologies and methods for developing a certificate program. Concurrently, in-formal interviews and coordination with the college advisory committee identified additional skills to inform curriculum development. The resulting Professional Communication Excellence Certificate was piloted in an undergraduate business communication course, using VR simulations and AI-powered feedback alongside real-world assessments evaluated by faculty and advisory board members.

Contribution
The study outlines how to develop a curriculum for a credentialing program focused on improving communication through AI and virtual reality. The program includes assurance-of-learning measures that are available upon request.

Findings
The pilot program included 28 of the 69 students enrolled in an undergraduate business communication course in the first cohort, which began in Spring 2026. The students’ voluntary participation suggests strong demand for certification, despite the substantial time required to earn it.

Recommendations for Practitioners
Higher education needs to address the perceived lack of durable skills among recent graduates. We designed a program that promotes communication through technology, reduces demands on faculty, and provides students with immediate feedback.

Recommendations for Researchers
Durable skills should receive greater emphasis in research to help prepare students for the workplace. Further investigation into durable skills is necessary to assess students’ career readiness and to examine how durable skills training benefits them over time. This would highlight the lasting importance of these skills and under-score the need for continuous skill development.

Impact on Society
The program’s popularity showed that people value earning a certificate that enhances their written, visual, and verbal communication skills. By developing pro-grams that strengthen these skills, we will enhance higher education’s ability to produce graduates prepared for the modern workforce.

Future Research
More studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of different interventions, and other studies should examine how soft-skill education benefits people over the course of their careers.