Knowledge, Skills, and Competency

Abstract

A search on the Internet shows the renewed importance given to competency-based approaches in Education and Administration. Ministries of education, school boards, and teacher training institutes use competency profiles to define school programs or required qualities from the teachers, especially in the use of technologies in education. Consulting companies present their expertise by enumerating competencies, marketing their services in this way. Other companies offer services or computerized tools to help their prospective customers define or manage the competence of their staff, looked upon as the main asset of an organization in a knowledge management perspective. Governmental agencies or professional associations use competency-based approaches to define conditions to the exercise of a profession and to orient their vocational training programs.