2 What are we speaking about? A controversial issue EU and soft skills Paradoxes and challenges Does it possible to build up the soft skills for the 21st century? Index

3 Skills for life, citizenship and… or economy? Unsolved ambiguity of the Europe 2020 policy? Competences (aware mobilisation of resources in terms of Knowledge and skills = “Handlungsfähigkeit” a holistic concept)…. …vs. a mix of behaviors, attitudes, personality? What are we speaking about?

4 The recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning (2006) aimed at stimulating EU countries to develop the provision of key competences for all as part of their lifelong learning strategies; it highlighted 8 key competencesrecommendation on key competences for lifelong learning 1.Communication in the mother tongue; 2.Communication in foreign languages; 3.Mathematical competence and basic skills in science and technology; 4.Digital competence; 5.Learning to learn; 6.Social and civic competences; 7.Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship 8.Cultural awareness and expression. EU and soft skills

5 Recent developments of EU Policies about soft skills The Rethinking Education initiative (2012) provides concrete advice as to how member countries can invest in skills for better socio-economic outcomes;Rethinking Education The Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs is a multi-stakeholder partnership to tackle the lack of ICT skills and the thousands of unfilled ICT-related vacancies;The Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs The Entrepreneurship 2020 Action plan (2015) is a blueprint for decisive action to unleash Europe's entrepreneurial potential, to remove existing obstacles, and to innovate the culture of entrepreneurship in Europe.The Entrepreneurship 2020 Action plan EU and soft skills

6 European initiatives for managing the availability of required skills: ESCO is the multilingual classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations. It introduces a standard terminology in 25 European languages and categorises skills, competences, qualifications and occupations relevant for the EU labour market and education and training;ESCO The European Skills Panorama helps regular monitoring of skills anticipation and skills assessment at the national and European level. It is a central access point providing data, information and intelligence on skills trends in occupations and sectors at the national and EU level.European Skills Panorama EU and soft skills

7 Basic skills and/or key competences? –Literacy, numeracy, ICT skills… –Social and personal skills –Methodological skills (learning to learn…) –Sense of entrepreneurship… “Non confessable” requirements, or the dark side of soft skills (strong resilience, successful conflict management, coping with stress, …): are they the most appreciated and valuable? Once again: what are we speaking about?

8 The perception of people: –Some shared opinions: communication (relational) skills, responsibility, work ethic are on top… –Key competences have to be situated and are socially “represented” (in a cultural environment, in an organizational pattern…) –Both competences in a proper sense and behaviors / attitudes play an important role (depending on profiles and organizations) –Sometimes implicit “non confessable” requirements play a “hidden” role of the utmost importance in recruitment and career Once again: what are we speaking about?

9 What should we recommend (foster)? Put your feelings at work vs. keep your private life out? Being cooperative vs. competitive? Sense of belonging vs. flexibility and mobility? Resilience vs. strategic specialization? Being proactive vs. being respectful? Look for solidity vs. accept uncertainty? Paradoxes

10 The soft skills we need: Vision: being capable of a deeper understanding (re-positioning myself in a changing framework) Multitasking: continuous shifting, lateral thinking, re-focusing our concentration Reflexivity: learning from experience and beyond (anticipation and self-regulation) Balance: work-life, emotion-distance, personal development-commitment, stability-openness to diversity.... Challenges

11 Building up soft skills A matter of planning, asking questions, setting solutions, reflecting on results? A matter of identity and sense of belonging? What can we learn from the reform of dual apprenticeship?

12 Integrate basic skills and qualifications paths, activating learning capabilities (basic skills + foundations of a professional identity) Crosscutting dimensions and spaces of learning: biography, socialization, training in a holistic perspective Informal plus formal and non formal (inc. didactical artifacts) Disjunctural experiences and reflection as patterns of lifelong learning (implying accompaniment) Valuation and social recognition of any form of learning as didactical strategy, professional identity driver (and means for coping with uncertainty) Building up soft skills

13 Some projects and practices Developing communication skills and professional competences: Competence orientation and workbase learning: reforming the dual apprenticeship - Building up soft skills