Across European Union adult learning policy, the terms competence and skills play a central role in shaping educational frameworks, funding priorities, and the ambitions of a more resilient, inclusive, and competitive Europe. Although often used together, these concepts have distinct meanings with important implications for educators, policymakers, and adult learners on EPALE. In this blog, we are outlining a few conceptual approaches and try to shed light on the complexity of these terms that are relevant for adult learning especially.
Understanding skills
In their 2021 conceptual framework for analysing skills and competences the Joint Research Centre defines skills “as the ability to perform a task well. Although a skill is an attribute of individuals, it necessarily refers to a specific activity (or as we are saying, act of transformation).” Cedefop also uses a task-oriented approach for skills that are defined as “the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems.” This approach is reflected in the definitions of the European Qualifications Framework (i.e. the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems), and in the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (i.e. the ability and capacity to carry out processes and use the existing knowledge to achieve results). One can find the exact same definition in OECD’s 2023 Readers Companion to the Survey of Adult Skills, but with a strong emphasis on skills as a part of human capital. This approach is still somewhat focused the ’capital’ and not the ’human’ element as it views skills, competencies and other attributes of individuals that are relevant to economic activity.
Skill refers to ability and capacity across various domains – physical, cognitive, and non-cognitive. Skills are hierarchical: workers vary in skill levels, and jobs may demand greater or more complex skills than others – as JRC puts forward.
Competences: a wider perspective
Competence, in contrast, is a broader, holistic construct that includes not only skills but also knowledge, attitudes, values, and the ability to apply them effectively in real-world situations. The 2018 Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning defines competence as a three-part concept:
- knowledge is composed of the facts and figures, concepts, ideas and theories which are already established and support the understanding of a certain area or subject;
- skills are defined as the ability and capacity to carry out processes and use the existing knowledge to achieve results;
- attitudes describe the disposition and mind-sets to act or react to ideas, persons or situations.
The EQF defines competence as “the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/or methodological abilities, in work or study situations and in professional and personal development.”
In adult learning, competence is tightly linked to lifelong learning, citizenship, digital participation, and personal empowerment – reflecting the EU’s vision of competent adults who can navigate social, civic, and economic life.
Blending the boundaries
The above-mentioned definitions have one thing in common: they define skills and competences from a utilitarian perspective – one that predominantly view human capital, skills and competences as an allowing factor to fullfilment on the labour market. While it is hard to question the role of skills and competences considering the career success, there are other approaches that capture the social, emotional complexity of adult learning. In these frameworks the skills and competences are placed in adults’ life situations, job and career being only one of such settings.
In 2020 the Joint Research Centre published a framework that moved beyond a strictly employment-related or educational understanding of skills and competences, namely the LifeComp as the “Personal, Social and Learning to Learn” was set as a key competence in 2018 by the Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. The LifeComp framework addresses Personal, Social and Learning to Learn as a set of competences.
The Life Skills for Europe project frames education as empowering learners to expand their choices, agency, and participation in society. Rather than viewing skills merely as economic assets, it sees them as enablers of social and economic success as well as of equitable participation in social, civic, and personal life. It defines life skills as “a constituent part of capabilities for life and work in a particular social, cultural and environmental context. The types of life skills emerge as a response to the needs of the individual in real life situations.”
The capabilities approach, rooted in the work of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, defines development not by economic growth or resource access but by people’s real freedoms to live the lives they value. It emphasises capabilities – the genuine opportunities individuals have to achieve functionings such as being educated, healthy, and socially included.
In their 2020 report Literacy for Life the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in Ireland places basic skills (literacy, numeracy and digital skills) in the centre of adults’ life situations (i.e. work, family, health and wellbeing, social and community) that are linked to a wider range of societal and civic settings (e.g. public services, community, democracy etc). This view is also reflected in the European Basic Skills Network’s projects and policy work.
The way ahead
We can see that the way we define skills and competences show a diverse and complex picture. Beyond the conceptual approaches to these terms, there is always a wider context which captures the complexity of adults having several different roles and challenges (social, personal, emotional and work-related too). This is reflected in the Lifelong Learning Platform’s approach – a wide European network of educational and adult learning organisations: “Skill acquisition merely promotes short-termism and quick fixes, while competences are the ones which holistically promote personal development and ensure learners are ready for all challenges”. The extent to which we manage to grab this complexity is also a key factor in succeeding as adult learning professionals.
