Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Skills: Importance, Scope and Relevance

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Understanding Global Skills for 21st Century Professions

Abstract

There has been a resurgence of interest in numerous policy initiatives around the world to make reference to equipping learners with the skills and competencies to engage effectively in the globalised economies and societies of today. Bourn reviews these debates and gives a rationale for the value of the term skills over that of competencies. The chapter clarifies how the concept of skills will be explored and used within the volume. This will include discussions on different ways in which the term ‘skills’ is interpreted. Bourn questions what he calls an artificial distinction between soft and people related skills and harder and more technically based skills. Skills are proposed as needing to incorporate both elements and to be located within specific social and cultural contexts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://worldskillsabudhabi2017.com/en/skills/sectors/.

  2. 2.

    There is more discussion on the PISA Global Competencies framework in Chap. 8.

References

  • Ananiadou, K., & Claro, M. (2009). 21st Century Skills and Competencies for New Millennium Learners in OECD Countries. OECD Education Working Paper 41. Paris: OECD Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R., & Education Policy Institute. (2017). Educating for our Economic Future. London: Education Policy Institute and Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreotti, V. (2010). Global Education in the 21st Century: Two Different Perspectives on the ‘Post’ of Postmodernism. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 2(2), 5–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, J., & Higson, H. (2008). Graduate Employability and Soft Skills Versus Hard Business Knowledge: A European Study. Higher Education in Europe, 33(4), 411–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boahin, P., & Hofman, A. (2013). A Disciplinary Perspective of Competency-Based Training on the Acquisition of Employability Skills. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 65, 385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourn, D. (2008). Global Skills. London: Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

    Google Scholar 

  • British Chamber of Commerce. (2013). BCC: Knowledge Gaps and Language Skills Hold Back Exporters. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/duplicate-of-bcc-knowledge-gaps-and-language-skills-hold-back-exporters.html.

  • British Council. (2017). UK Skills System. London: British Council. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/uk_skills_sector_brochure_2017.pdf.

  • Brown, P., Green, A., & Lauder, H. (2001). High Skills: Globalisation, Competiveness and Skill Formation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P., Lauder, H., & Ashton, D. (2008). Education, Globalisation and the Knowledge Economy. London: TLRP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Care, E., Kim, H., Anderson, K., & Gustafsson-Wright, E. (2017). Skills for a Changing World: National Perspectives and the Global Movement. Washington, DC: Brookings Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • CEDEFOF. (2008). Skill Needs in Europe Focus on 2020 Cedefop Panorama Series. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • CFE. (2014). Research and Analysis of the Benefits of International Education Opportunities. Leicester: CFE Research for the British Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D. (2006). The Capability Approach: Its Development, Critiques and Recent Advances. Manchester: Global Poverty Research Group WPS-032.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dean, H. (2009). Critiquing Capabilities: The Distractions of a Beguiling Concept. Critical Social Policy, 29(2), 261–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, A., Walkley, L., Forbes, P., Hughes, T., & Sheen, J. (2011) Global Graduates Into Global Leaders. Manchester: CFE Research and Consulting, Association of Graduate Recruiters and Council for Industry and Higher Education. Retrieved May 19, 2018, from http://www.ucml.ac.uk/sites/default/files/shapingthefuture/101/CIHE%20-%201111GlobalGradsFull.pdf

  • Dobbs, R., Madgavkar, A., Barton, D., Labaye, E., Manyika, J., Roxburgh, C., Lund, S., & Madhav, S. (2012). The World at Work: Jobs, Pay, and Skills for 3.5 Billion People. San Francisco: McKinsey Global Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edexcel. (2017). International GCSEs. London: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fielden, J., Middlhurst, R., & Woodfield, S. (2007). Global Horizons for UK Students. London: CIHE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, K., & Desai, R. (2012). Developing Global Practitioners. Journal of International Communication, 18(1), 63–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibb, J., & Curtain, P. (2004). Generic Skills in Vocational Education and Training. In J. Gibb (Ed.), Research readings (pp. 162–187). Adelaide: NCVER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, J. (2005). Catching the Knowledge Wave. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckman, J., & Corbin, C. (2016). Capabilities and Skills. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 17(3), 342–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hipkins, R. (2013). Competencies or Capabilities. He Whakaaro An, Se2(3), 55–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). (2017). Skills 2030: Why the Adult Skills System Is Failing to Build an Economy that Works for Everyone. London: IPPR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. (2013). Internationalisation and Employability: The Role Intercultural Experiences in the Development of Transferable Skills. Public Money and Management, 33(2), 95–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, K. (2009). Education, Skills, Sustainability and Growth: Complex Relations. International Journal of Educational Development, 29, 175–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, B. (2017). If ‘Soft Skills’ Really Matter then We Should Measure Them. Times Educational Supplement. Retrieved May 19, 2018, from https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/if-soft-skills-really-matter-then-we-should-try-measure-them.

  • Martin, J.P. (2018). Skills for the 21st Century: Funding and Policy Lessons from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. OECD Education Working Papers, no. 166. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCowan, T. (2013). Education as a Human Right – Principles for a Universal Entitlement to Learning. London: Bloomsbury.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2000). Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2009). Education at a Glance. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2011). Towards an OECD Skills Strategy. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2015). Skills for Social Progress, the Power of Social and Emotional Skills. Paris: OECD.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2016). Getting Skills Right: Assessing and Anticipating Changing Skill Needs. Paris: OECD.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2017). Getting Skills Right: So, Set 3, 55-Kills For Job Indicators. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2018). OECD Core Competencies. Paris: OECD. Retrieved June 25 2018, from http://www.oecd.org/careers/oecdcorecompetencies.htm.

  • Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR). (n.d.). Learning Programmes. Retrieved May 18, 2018, from http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/151878-learning-programmes-brochure.pdf.

  • Payscale. (2016). Levelling Up: How to Win in the Skills Economy. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skills.

  • Playfair, E. (2015). What Is Powerful Knowledge. Blog post. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from https://eddieplayfair.com/2015/08/19/what-is-powerful-knowledge/

  • Pogge, T. (2010). A Critique of the Capability Approach. In H. Brighouse & I. Robeyns (Eds.), Measuring Justice: Primary Goods and Capabilities (pp. 17–60). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rogue Community College. (n.d.). Hard and Soft Skills. Accessed May 20, 2018, from https://web.roguecc.edu/sites/web.roguecc.edu/files/Sites/CareerServices/pdf/HardSoftSkills-1.pdf.

  • Rost, J. (2004). Competencies for Global Learning. The Development Education Journal, 11(1), 6–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheunpflug, A. (2011). Global Education and Cross-Cultural Learning: A Challenge for a Research Based Approach to International Teacher Education. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 3(3), 29–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, C. L. (2015). The Futures of Learning 2: What Kind of Learning for the 21st Century. UNESCO Education Research and Foresight Working Papers, 14. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (1999). The Ends and the Means of Development. In A. Sen (Ed.), Development as Freedom (pp. 35–53). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2009). The Idea of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Harvard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Storey, A. (2003). Measuring Development. In G. McCann & S. McCloskey (Eds.), From the Local to the Global: Key Issues in Development Studies (pp. 25–40). London: Pluto.

    Google Scholar 

  • UKCES. (2016). Employer Skills Survey, 2016. London: UKCES.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2012). Youth and Skills – Putting Education to Work. Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2012. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeung, A.S., Ng, C., & Liu, W.P. (2007). Generic Capabilities for Lifelong Education: Conceptualisation and Construct Validity. Paper presented at AARE Conference, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2018, from https://aare.edu.au/data/publications/2007/yeu07420.pdf

  • Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in Higher Education. York: Higher Education Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, M. (2008). Bringing Knowledge Back In: From Social Constructivism to Social Realism in the Sociology of Education. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, M., Lambert, D., Roberts, C., & Roberts, M. (2014). Knowledge and the Future School. London: Bloomsbury.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Development Education Research Centre, University College London, London, UK

    Douglas Bourn

Authors
  1. Douglas Bourn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bourn, D. (2018). Skills: Importance, Scope and Relevance. In: Understanding Global Skills for 21st Century Professions. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97655-6_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97655-6_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97654-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97655-6

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation