The employers in our country are claiming students are graduating high school and college without the soft skills to succeed in this country's workforce. This study examined what are soft skills and why are they missing from recent graduates. The study took a historical approach to trace how soft skills have been used and ignored in our nation's educational history to the point where employers are claiming they are missing in today's job applicants. The study then conducted focus groups with elementary, middle and high school teachers to assess their ideas on why soft skills are missing or if they believe these skills are missing at all. The study also contacted employers in the Western Kentucky area to assess if they agree with their national colleagues on whether soft skills are missing, who is to blame for them missing and what can be done to correct this problem. The results were transcribed and coded to recognize the main themes of these two groups. The results, analysis and recommendations were presented to the client, McCracken County Schools. The researcher will work with the school district to use these results to establish what can be done to improve soft skills in their graduates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]