What is a skill?

Comparable Dilemma’s Since the birth of the modern Olympics in 1896 it has featured some more unusual sports which are now discontinued: Tug of War Croquet Basque pelota Live Pigeon Shooting One handed weight lifting Very often WorldSkills gets compared to the Olympics. Indeed not so long ago it was called the Youth skills Olympics. There are clear parallels which help us to explain, normally to those who know nothing of WorldSkills, the concept of skills competitions very quickly. Like with the Olympics during its development it has to continual define what should be included in the games. We feel we are that point with WorldSkills. Probably even more important for WorldSkills as it does not have the ability to continually expand its infrastructure to host the event and we are quickly reaching our capacity to the amount of skills we can included. Very similar to how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) operates where they need two-thirds majority vote from their members for a sport to be included. WorldSkills also votes by virtue of indicating its commitment to sending competitors and Expert to participate in what we call demonstration skills. Only in 2004 did the IOC established an Olympic Programme Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the sports on the Olympic program and all non-Olympic recognized sports. The goal was to apply a systematic approach to establishing the Olympic program of sport to be at the games. The commission formulated seven criteria to judge whether a sport should be included on the Olympic program. These criteria are “history and tradition of the sport”, universality”, “popularity of the sport”, “image”, “Athletes' health”, “development of the International Federation that governs the sport”, and “costs of holding the sport” So this session is titled “what is a Skills ?” which is about us starting to define the criteria for WorldSkills to help them judge whether a skills should be included in the future events before any vote or commitment to participate takes place - Note – 1896 was the first Games held under the auspices of the IOC 

So…. How should WorldSkills define what a skill is? “The notion of skills has been one of the most elusive and hardest to-define concepts in labour economics despite its central importance in the discussions of labour market changes Gordon Lefer, The Job Training Charade. 2004 The purpose is not to define “what is a skills” per-se as there have been many economist and academics who have tried and foundered on this topic. Indeed Skill levels also are difficult to define. So this session is more to tease out what factors or criteria WorldSkills should think about to help it make a more informed decision about what skills it should or should not included in its portfolio. So, lets see if we can simulate a debate by asking you, the audience a few questions.

Skills for WorldSkills? Is simply following a set of instructions a skill ? Why ? Many of you I assume may have at some point of your life put together some flat pack furniture. Which is in reality ask you to follow a set of instructions Is following detail instruction a skill?

Skills for worldskills? Should a featured skill be less about who has practiced the most ? “Automaticity” When we learn a new task like driving a car or riding a bike or learn to swim we concentrate hard to master the skills. At first we are slow and awkward and our movements are characterised by conscious control, but as we get more familiar the skills are absorbed in our implicit memory and we no longer give much thought to them. This is what psychologists call automaticity. With lots and lots of practice comes automaticity. Some may of heard of the 10,00 hr rule Indeed, some sport people really on this feature to become proficient at what they do.

Skills for worldskills? Is Cleaning a Skill? Why ? Cleaning has been proposed several times as a new Skill for WorldSkills. It is a significant Worldwide multi million dollar industry. It has good support from industry for it’s introduction to WorldSkills but is a Skill?

Skills for worldskills? Is entrepreneurship a innate talent or a trainable skill? Why? Talent: a special natural ability or aptitude Skill: the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well:  Should we decouple Skill that may be more about innate Talent than the skills learned?

Skills for worldskills? What criteria should WorldSkills use to define the skills within its portfolio? Economic relevance Floor space it takes up Cost of operating the Skill Number of competences required to undertake the skill What do you feel WorldSkills should included as their criteria for introducing a new skill? New Technologies How many Countries have a national competition in that skill

Thank you for your attention!