Help:User Help

These help pages are meant to support the User to read the competencebase and understand the structure behind it. Content makers and Developers have separate pages when logged in. The pages can be used as a quick reference to get the reader on the way, without digging deep in the fundamental background philosophy of the system.

Introduction

Competencebase is the cooperative result of different European (and local) projects that worked on different aspects of competence management, developing teaching, training and assessment content. These projects, building on each other's experience and content, advanced step by step towards what is now Competencebase. We ensure in this way the long term sustainability of their results and offer the concept and content for future use.

Below you find a quick reference to the most important elements of the database and where to see it in the larger "competence ecosystem".

Language

Competencebase is a multilingual system. The mother language is English, this means that most development is done in English and the results are later translated into the different project languages. Because not every project includes all languages, not all information may be available in your language and you may see pages with partially English-language content.

Translations may also be less accurate than the English version, in case of differences between languages, the English version prevails.

Relation with ESCO

ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) is the European multilingual classification of Skills, Competences and Occupations. ESCO works as a dictionary, describing, identifying and classifying professional occupations and skills relevant for the EU labour market and education and training. Those concepts and the relationships between them can be understood by electronic systems, which allows different online platforms to use ESCO for services like matching job seekers to jobs on the basis of their skills, suggesting trainings to people who want to reskill or upskill etc. ESCO

Competencebase contains "sectoral layers" derived from ESCO competences and ESCO occupations. Where the ESCO content focusses on transferability in the labour market, the sectoral layer describes the ESCO content in a sectoral context, usable for education, training and assessment. On the other hand, the relation with ESCO is consolidated where possible linking to the ESCO content and adding relevant ESCO occupations, competences and knowledge to Competencebase. Only when a profile of competences doesn't exist, we will describe it separately.

Ownership

As Competencebase is a collaborative project, each item (each page) is owned by one of the partners or by Competencebase itself (for the structural information). Partners can reuse each others information, but not change it. Therefore it is possible that a competence or a profile occurs several times in the database with slight changes.

Overview of all owners

The owner page will show you all profiles, competences, knowledge blocks and attitudes owned by this particular organisation or project.

Profiles

A profile is a set of competences that describe an generic occupation, a professional profile or a coherent part of it. In other words, a profile can be as well a full occupation, an educational profile or a unit of competences that fit together, like a micro-credential.

Overview of all profiles

Structure of a profile

A profile contains all essential and optional competences needed by a professional. Next to this a profile contains:

• a reference to a ESCO occupation
• an (assumed) EQF level
• the owner of the profile

Further the profile can contain information about teaching, training and assessment of the profile.

ESCO profiles

The profiles that are imported from ESCO contain extra information derived from ESCO, like scope notes, ISCO and version numbers, and a link to the URI.

Competences

A competence is 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 (Cedefop Glossary). In our sectoral layer we describe these ellements as skills, knowledge and attitudes in the context of our sector. We add extra information about levels, assessment, training, ... as well as structuring information, to improve readability and discoverability.

Overview of all available competences

Skills

The skills are described in concrete actions one would expect of a professional that masters the competence. They can be read as generic measuring criteria for the competence.

Knowledge and knowledge blocks

Based on the definition of a competence, we see knowledge as underpinning to a competence. The knowledge may be reusable in different contexts, but always has to be read in the context of its competence. This is a main difference with ESCO, where it is a separate part of an occupation. (We solve this by listing the knowledge blocks used in the competences also in the profile.)

Knowledge means the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study (Cedefop Glossary).

There are two ways knowledge can be described in a competence: as a knowledge detail, directly in the competence, or as a knowledge block, separate, but linked to the competence. The knowledge detail approach is mainly used in older profiles where less detail and reusability was required. The knowledge blocks are developed for reusability. The volume of the content is chosen in a way that they can serve multiple competences.

Overview of all available knowledge blocks

Attitudes

Attitudes describe the disposition and mindset to act or react to ideas, persons or situations. We see them, based on the definition of a competence, as underpinning and to be read in context. There is a strong similarity with soft skills as they are described in ESCO. (We solve this by linking them to the ESCO soft skills and listing the attitudes used in the competences also in the profile.)

Overview of all available attitudes

Organisation of competences

Because of the number of competences that are in the database, we need to structure them in a way that follows the logic of the reader. For this we have developed a structure that combines the (working) field and subfield, the Place in the process, the EQF level, a unique identifier, and the Owner. Sorting them like this not only makes the competences more findable, but also puts them in a logical order when reading a profile.

Each competence gets, based on the above elements, a code consisting of 6 x 2 digits or characters that make the competence unique and easy sortable.

Field and Subfield

A field is an area or division of an activity or profession, which is then further specified by a subfield. The organisation reflects common usage in the sector, for good readability, and helps improve the logical order of the competences.

Overview of all fields and subfields (with their competences)

Place in the process

To structure the competences in a more readable order for an average reader, we organise them in "order of appearance", at the place in the process where they are most visible or needed. By doing so, the reader can orient him/herself based on the working processes that are typical for the sector.

Overview of the place in the process

EQF level

It is impossible to assign a EQF level to a single competence. The EQF system is based on complete profiles and it is the combination of the competences that define the level. On the other hand, we felt that it was important to have an indication of the levels of competences. Therefore we defined the EQF level of a competence as the EQF level of the profile in which the competence occurs for the first time.

ESCO competences, which have no level by definition, are designated "00".

Unique identifier

The unique identifier makes the competence unique in the numbering system and make it possible to order the competences in a logical order. To allow addition of competences in the future, the unique identifiers are assigned non-consecutively (i.e. with gaps).

Owner

Refers the owner of the Item (see higher).

Assessment and training information

Depending on the project, you will find in some descriptions also information about assessment and or training. Most important elements are:

Acceptable assessment methods

These are methods that the project declared valid for thus type of competence.

Overview of assessment methods

Self and mentor assessment

Measuring sentences that can be used to define the level of mastering of a competence. They are written form the point of view of the mentor and fof the individual.

references

Where possible we reference to used sources, legislation, reports, local profiles, etc.

Technical entries

• Field (Q6)
• Assessment method (Q7)
• Level(Q25)
• Place in process (Q28)
• Knowledge field (Q36)