Beyond Employability. Soft Skills as Human Competencies in the Age of Automation

The “Fifth Technological Revolution” redefines the relationship between knowledge, identity, and work, challenging pedagogy to rethink the formative meaning of human action. In this perspective, soft skills acquire strategic relevance, enabling individuals to inhabit digital complexity critically. Drawing on the INDACO-Adults 2022 survey, this paper examines the impact of Adult Education and Training (AET) on soft skills. Results show a positive association between AET and soft skills — particularly among retirees and people with disabilities — confirming AET’s role as a “laboratory of human flourishing”, oriented toward meaning and selfcare: not a mere tool for technical adaptation, but a space for emancipation in the algorithmic era.