A Competency Perspective on the Occupational Network (O* Net)

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model which integrates the well-established US-based occupational information network (O*Net) into a competence perspective. Taking serious claims about lifelong learning, one of the biggest challenges is the assessment of tacit knowledge and competences. To tackle this challenge, we depart from four well-established competences (personal competence, social competence, methodic competence and domain competence), and integrate descriptors from the O*Net. We argue that learning outcomes (what a person should be able to do) can be made comparable and accessible when linking them with the descriptors from the O*Net. This approach is in line with the European Qualification Framework (EQF), that aims at establishing comparability of learning outcomes within the European Union and relies on theories linking individual to organizational learning.