..inventing a new Language of Competence? Henning Salling Olesen

VPL, RPL, RKV, etc – Tools for…? Lifelong Learning as Policy Agenda Individual Subjective Concerns?

Individual subjective concerns: Guidance and counselling advocating individuals ……providing tools defined by institutions or market Based in Life Experience: past-present-future Participation in continuing education and training Dreams, desires and life situation: time and money

3f - TU of Unskilled Workers Education and Training Rights – and Motivation Labour Market intervention and Workplace development Universal right for Competence assessment Recognition of experience and self esteem Workers’ interests, Requirements, Bargaining, Legislation Individual career reflection

Two Regimes of Recognition – two Discourses Business and labour market Discourse: Skills Functionalism – Specific Applicability - Exchangeable Scholastic Discourse: Knowledge General abstract knowledge – academic skills -

Competence The ability to act successfully In a complex context Through the mobilization of psycho-social prerequisites (cognitive and non-cognitive) With results related to the requirements of a professional role or personal project (DESECO)

Skills - Competences Work process  Labour force qualifications De-skilling/re-skilling - Soft skills Generic Skills Bløde/Almene kvalifikationer Schlüsselqualifikation Key competences

Key Competences “such scientific plans have often failed in psychology, however. The underlying multilevel models can be logically reconstructed, but not validated psychologically. The different degrees of abstraction mean, therefore, a fundamental asymmetry in competence research - high abstraction: intellectually brilliant, pragmatically hopeless; low abstraction: pragmatically useful, intellectually unsatisfactory” (Weinert, in Rychen/Salganik, 2001, p 52).

Competence as a subjective capability Knowledge and Learning is pragmatic and situated Subjective engagement: Identification and ambivalence Routine, Challenges/changes, Imagination Life Experience is scenic (situated) Competence: a subjective capability to reconfigure and re-engage – within an identity process

Elements for a new Language of Competencies Life Narratives and Socio-economic Orientation Gender and Work Identity Work experiences Significant Learning Experiences Utopian horizon? Systematizing experiences from Guidance and Validation practice

Life experience: “Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable.” (T.S.Eliot)

References Henning Salling Olesen: “Beyond the Current Political Economy of Competence Development”, in RELA (online journal: See also Editorialwww.rela.ep.liu.se DOI: /rela Henning Salling Olesen: “Theorizing Learning in Life History: A Psycho-societal Approach”, in: Studies in the Education of Adults, 2007, no1, pp Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 2012/3.Thematic Issue