Organisation:	European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), Europe
Source:	Terminology of European education and training policy (2008)
Description:	This multilingual glossary of terms used in education and training policy is intended for researchers and more generally for all those involved in education and training policy. It does not represent an exhaustive inventory of the terminology used by specialists; rather it identifies a selection of key terms that are essential for an understanding of current education and training policy in Europe. This glossary is an updated and extended version of the Terminology of vocational training policy, published by Cedefop in 2004. [...] This glossary was prepared in cooperation with the European Training Foundation (ETF), The European Commission (DG Education and Culture) and Eurydice (The information network on education in Europe). p. 14 (Introduction)

Organisation:	National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Australia
Source:	Glossary of VET (2013 - online version continuously updated, Accessed in Jan. 2016)
Description:	The language of vocational education and training (VET) is complex and particularly prone to jargon and acronyms. The aim of this glossary is to provide a single up-to-date reference source for definitions of Australian VET-related terms, acronyms and organisations. The glossary is based on 'A glossary of Australian vocational education and training terms' which was published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2000. New content, sourced from recent NCVER publications, the VOCED database, websites of key Australian VET organisations, other VET glossaries and suggestions from NCVER staff, has been added. Website

Organisation:	Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippines
Source:	TVET glossaries of terms (2010)
Description:	The Glossary of Terms, 4th edition, provides definitions of TVET terms and terminologies commonly used in education, labor and employment and other TVET related areas in the Philippines. The complexity of the environment where TVET operates requires regular review and updating of TVET terminologies as systems, standards, processes, policies and programs continue to change. The provision of this glossary is intended to facilitate comprehension and better understanding as we move together in making TVET work for our people and country. p. iii

Organisation:	The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Global
Source:	OECD Skills Strategy (2011)
Description:	Many countries have developed skills strategies to address some or all of these issues from their national perspectives; but their success in implementing those strategies varies widely. To facilitate a cross-government approach and peer-learning on effective skills policies, and to address the global dimensions of the supply and demand for skills, the OECD is preparing a global Skills Strategy. [...] This paper sets out the rationale for the OECD Skills Strategy, the issues that it will address and the way forward. (Skills defined p.7)p. 3

Organisation:	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN
Source:	Terminology of Technical and Vocational Education (1984)
Description:	This publication is a practical terminology in the field of technical and vocational education for the purposes of international communication. After use of the original English/French version for over five years in numerous regional and international meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops held in those two languages, it was felt that publication of the guide in additional international languages would permit Unesco to contribute further to a better understanding in Member States of the Revised Recommendation concerning Technical and Vocational Education (1974), would facilitate the implementation of this instrument and would foster a more effective exchange of information in the field of technical and vocational education.UNESDOC

Organisation:	EU skills panorama, Europe
Source:	Glossary (Online repertory - Accessed in January 2016)
Description:	Access here the definitions of key skills-related terms and concepts ... Skills Panorama aims to improve Europe’s capacity to assess and anticipate skill needs to help make education and training systems more responsive to labour market needs and to match better skill supply and demand across Europe. Skills Panorama is brought to you by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and powered by Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training.Website

Organisation:	United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UN
Source:	Level-setting and recognition of learning outcomes: the use of level descriptors in the twenty-first century (2015)
Description:	Description of the report: "The aim of this research is to support a broader initiative that will explore the possibility of developing international guidelines on quality assurance for the recognition of qualifications based on learning outcomes, including a set of world reference levels to facilitate the international recognition of qualifications." Description of the glossary: "The definitions of this glossary are provided by the authors, drawing on a wide range of literature in the field, and in particular the cited references for this publication. They do not necessarily coincide with official positions of UNESCO." pp.14;189

The skills needed to live in contemporary society, e.g. listening, speaking, reading, writing and mathematics.
Source: CEDEFOP 2008, Europe

A fundamental skill that is the basis of later learning or is essential for employment. The skills and competences needed to function in contemporary society, including listening, speaking, reading, writing and mathematics.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Career management skills refer to a whole range of competences which provide structured ways for individuals and groups to gather, analyse, synthesise and organise self, educational and occupational information as well as the skills to make and implement decisions and transitions.
Source: CEDEFOP 2011, Europe

abilities for which demand is increasing in existing or new occupations.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

The skills which enable people to gain, keep and progress in employment, including skills in the clusters of work readiness and work habits, interpersonal skills and learning, thinking and adaptability skills.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

A council responsible for TVET and employment issues. (Similar definition used for the Australian EFSC. See NCEVER)
Source: Wahba 2013, Global

Entrepreneurial skills are defined as two kinds of competency: that of creating value and that of enabling contingency. The ability to create good customer relationships, competency to master the technology and competency to develop products or services, as well as production and logistical competences, belong to value creative competences. The competency to direct and steer business operations, the competency to develop personnel and the competency to master knowledge are all competencies which enable contingency.
Source: IECER 2007, Europe

A skill required to commence employment in an organisation or more generally to gain entry into the workforce.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Terms used by some countries which are often synonymous with literacy, numeracy and basic skills/basic education.
Source: EU Commission AL 2010, Europe

Foundation skills: Reading, writing, numeracy, oral communication along with employability and learning skills.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Foundation skills include the basic academic knowledge and skills that learners acquire often as result of their participation in formal school education (primary and secondary schools) or sometimes through non-formal and informal learning opportunities. These skills, which include basic literacy and numeracy skills, provide the foundation upon which learners receive further education to deepen their capacity for fulfilling, meaningful lives and decent jobs.
Source: UNESCO (Bangkok) 2014, Asia Pacific

Essential Skills are the skills people need for work, learning and life. They are the foundation for learning all other skills and the cornerstone of lifelong learning. Essential skills are used in virtually all occupations and throughout daily life in different forms and at different levels of complexity. The Essential Skills identified by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) are:
Reading text, Numeracy, Oral communication, Thinking skills, Continuous learning, Document use, Writing, Working with others, Computer use.
Source: ACCC 2007, Canada

At their most elemental, foundation skills include the literacy and numeracy skills necessary for getting work that can pay enough to meet daily needs. These skills are also a prerequisite for continuing in education and training, and for acquiring transferable and technical and vocationa skills that enhance the prospect of getting a job.
Source: EFA (GMR) 2012, Global

A skill which is not specific to work in a particular occupation or industry, but is important for work, education and life generally, including communication skills, mathematical skills, organizational skills, computer literacy, interpersonal competence and analytical skills.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Transferable skills which can be used across occupational groups (Hillage, J, Uden, T, Aldridge, F. and Eccles, J (2000) Adult Learning in England: a review. Leicester: NIACE.)

Technical skills, knowledge, values and attitudes needed in the workforce to develop and support sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes in business, industry and the community.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Abilities needed to live in, develop and support a society which aims to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

Environmental awareness skills refer to the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes [in the general population] needed to live in, develop and support a society which reduces the impact of human activity on the environment. These generic ‘green’ skills include the capacity to include environmental concerns alongside others (such performance and safety) in taking decisions, including in the choice of processes and technologies.
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

The technical and analytical competencies and know-how that allow the worker to perform the mechanical aspects of a job
Source: OECD/KRIVET 2012, South Korea

A mixture of the skills and knowledge, possibly from different disciplines, generally required in sectors applying high technology.
Source: UNEVOC/NCVER 2009, Global

The skills needed to use efficiently the elementary functions of information and communication technologies (essentially word/image/data processing, Internet and e-mail).
Source: CEDEFOP 2008, Europe

(ICT Skills/digital competences) Digital competences involve confident and critical use of information society technology (ICT) in the general population and provide the necessary context (i.e. the knowledge, skills and attitudes) for working, living and learning in the knowledge society. Digital competences are defined as the ability to access digital media and ICT, to understand and critically evaluate different aspects of digital media and media contents and to communicate effectively in a variety of ICT influenced contexts.
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Job-relevant skills are task-related and build on a combination of cognitive and socio-emotional skills.
cognitive skills, defined as the “ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles by taking thought.
Social-emotional skills, also referred to as soft or non-cognitive skills, relate to traits covering multiple domains—social, emotional, personality, behavioral, and attitudinal among them

Source: World Bank Group, Stepskills measurement 2016, Global

Expression used in one of the following ways, sometimes combining some of the categories:
1- often used to capture skills such as problem-solving, working in teams, networking, communicating, negotiating, etc. Their generic nature - their importance throughout life, in varying contexts - is held in common with literacy skills. These generic skills are seldom, if ever, acquired in isolation from other skills;
2- also used to refer to skills needed in daily life that are strongly connected to a certain context. Examples are livelihood skills, health skills, skills related to gender and family life, and environmental skills. These can be termed 'contextual skills', while accepting that skills are in practice never purely contextual or purely generic…;
3- also used in the school context to refer to any subject matter other than language or mathematics;
4 there are other miscellaneous skills being referred to as life skills, such as cooking, making friends and crossing the street.
Source: UNESCO UIS 2013, Global

Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (WHO definition). In particular, life skills are psychosocial competencies and interpersonal skills that help people make informed decisions, solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, build healthy relationships, empathise with others, and cope with managing their lives in a healthy and productive manner. Life skills may be directed toward personal actions or actions toward others, or may be applied to actions that alter the surrounding environment to make it conducive to health.
Source: WHO 2003, Global

Capabilities, resources, and opportunities for pursuing individual and household economic goals, in other words, income generation. Livelihood skills include technical and vocational abilities (carpentry, sewing, computer programing, etc.); skills for seeking jobs, such as interviewing strategies; and business management, entrepreneurial, and money management skills.
Source: WHO 2003, Global

individual whose level of educational attainment is lower than a predetermined standard.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

Having qualifications, especially in literacy and numeracy, below ISCED level 3
Source: EU commission (NRDC) 2011, Europe

Training of workers in a number of skills which enables them to perform a variety of tasks or functions across traditional boundaries. Multiskilling may be horizontal (broad skilling), vertical (upskilling) or diagonal (contributory skilling).
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

An OSP summarises essential characteristics required for a given job: the level of education and training required (and hence the complexity of the occupation); the field of education and training required; and other requirements in terms of knowledge, skills, competence, occupational interests, and work values.
Source: CEDEFOP 2015, Europe

Circumstances in the labour market where a person has more skills than required by their current job and their skills are not fully utilised
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

A skill or competency that can be transferred from one work context to another.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

A document which contains the trends and prospects of a particular industry demand and supply, goals, strategies, policies and programs and serves as a planning tool for addressing industry skill needs and a decision making framework for both government and private sector.
Source: TESDA 2010, Philippines

Refers to a self-sustaining concentration of workforce skills and knowledge in an industry or a region and has been used in Australia to guide a series of national VET projects.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

A difference between the aggregate quantities of demand and supply of individuals with different levels of skill in an economy.
Source: CEDEFOP 2015, Europe

Situation of imbalance in which the level or type of skills available does not correspond to labour market needs.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

Situation in the labour market where the level of skills of individuals does not match the level of skills required in the jobs (see Gap, Overskilling, Underskilling, Overqualification, Underqualification). Mismatches could be vertical (when the level of skills or education is more or less than the level of skills or education required to perform a job), horizontal (when the type of education or skills is not appropriate for the current job, but the level of education or skills matches the requirements of the job) or geographical (where the workers with types and levels of skills or education required are based in a country or region different from where such skills are needed).
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Skills mismatch is an encompassing term which refers to various types of imbalances between skills offered and skills needed in the world of work. [...]
Vertical mismatch: The level of education or qualification is less or more than required.
Horizontal mismatch: The type/field of education or skills is inappropriate for the job.
Source: ILO (STATS) 2014, Europe

A situation where there is a (qualitative) discrepancy between the qualifications and skills that individuals possess and those that are needed by the labour market.
Source: CEDEFOP 2015, Europe

demand for particular types of knowledge and skills on the labour market (total demand within a country or region, economic sector, etc.).
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

The skill or skills needed for different types of activity, job or occupational role, in a specific organization,sector.
Source: Ministry of Labour 2005, Jordan

Acquired aptitude and knowledge for which there is little or no demand or which is out-of-date either through technological and scientific advances made in the equipment used, a marked change in job requirements or through the gradual disappearance of a trade or profession. Can usually be rectified by retraining or skill upgrading.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Skills previously used in a job are no longer required and/or skills have deteriorated over time.
Source: ILO (STATS) 2014, Europe

(Economic skills obsolescence) A situation where skills previously used in a job are no longer required or have diminished in importance.
Source: CEDEFOP 2015, Europe

Where the demand for employees in specific occupations is greater than the supply of those who are qualified, available and willing to work under existing industry conditions.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Situation where skills supply (type of abilities and number of people available on the labour market) is not sufficient to meet labour market demand.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

Demand for a particular type of skill exceeds the supply of people with that skill
Source: ILO (STATS) 2014, Europe

(or talent shortage) A situation where the demand for a particular type of skill exceeds the available supply of that skill at the market clearing rate of pay.
Source: CEDEFOP 2015, Europe

An identification of the skills or competencies needed for each job.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

An identification of the skills needed for each job.
Source: Ministry of Labour 2005, Jordan

Use of labour market and skills information to predict and develop policy responses to future skills needs
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Analysis of knowledge, skills and competences of an individual, including his or her aptitudes and motivations to define a career project and/or plan professional reorientation or training project.
Source: CEDEFOP 2008, Europe

An identification of the skills required and held by the workforce.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

An industry- or enterprise-based training facility offering a range of accredited training to enterprise employees, industry groups and individuals. Skills centres may be in-plant or standalone, or may be linked with a college or group training organisation.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Formal recognition of workers' skill qualifications, independent of the manner in which they were acquired.
Source: TESDA 2010, Philippines

The acquisition of practical competencies, know-how and attitudes necessary to perform a trade or occupation in the labour market.
Source: EU Commission 2012, Europe

(also called Skill formation) The development of work-related skills or competencies through vocational education and training.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

The development of skills or competencies which are relevant to the workforce.
Source: UNEVOC/NCVER 2009, Global

The process through which learners and workers are systematically provided with learning required as qualifications for a job or range of jobs in a given occupation area.
Source: TESDA 2010, Philippines

Quantitative, model-based projections of employment, skills and qualifications demand and supply in the future
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Situation where an individual does not have the level of skills required to perform his or her job adequately.
Source: CEDEFOP 2014, Europe

Type or level of skills is different from that required to adequately perform the job.
Source: ILO (STATS) 2014, Europe

A record of the competencies possessed by a person and recognised through formal assessment.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

A collection of materials that provide samples of work-related achievements and a record of skills that show what kind of worker a person is and how s/he meets the employment criteria.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

A list of skills considered critical to the growth of priority sectors and industries at national, regional and provincial levels.
Source: TESDA 2010, Philippines

An organisation that provides an assessment service and issues qualifications and statements of attainment, but does not deliver raining.
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Situation in the labour market where the number of people with particular type of skills is higher than the demand for that type of skill
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Supply for a particular type of skill exceeds the supply of people with that skill.
Source: ILO (STATS) 2014, Europe

The proportion (in percent) of employed graduates at time of survey whose jobs are related to skills acquired to total employed graduates.
Source: TESDA 2010, Philippines

Social construction of skill theory maintains that beliefs about skill and the job hierarchies are operationalised through institutions such as industrial relations arrangements and requirements for qualifications. Feminist literature extends this labour process approach, arguing that 'male' jobs have gained the reputation of being skilled at the expense of 'female' jobs. In social construction theory, the proxy measures and the positivist/technicist approaches described above are themselves regarded as products of social construction.
Source: Smith 2015, Australia

A set of intangible personal qualities, traits, attributes, habits and attitudes that can be used in many different types of jobs.
Source: UNESCO IBE 2013, Global

The inter-personal and intra-personal skills required to be effective in the workplace.
Source: FAS, Ireland

Non-job specific skills that are related to individual ability to operate effectively in the workplace
Source: EU commission (Progress) 2011, Europe

Skills that are cross-cutting across jobs (see Job-specific skills) and sectors (see Sector-specific jobs) and relate to personal competences (confidence, discipline, self-management) and social competences (teamwork, communication, emotional intelligence)
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Specialised skills include the specific “know-how” needed for a fulfilling and meaningful life and decent employment which learners acquire often as result of their participation in post-basic education, including through technical and vocational education and training ( TVET ) or extra-school activities.These skills may relate to a specific job, task, academic discipline (e.g. teacher, geographer, medical doctor or journalist) or area of particular knowledge and skills (e.g. hobby). Depending on their interest and further learning, individuals may possess one or several specialised skills.
Source: UNESCO (Bangkok) 2014, Asia Pacific

Specific skills increase the value of a person only within the company where he/she has acquired it; leaving the company leads to devaluation of all the specific skills since they do not apply in other companies, sectors and occupations
Source: EU commission (Progress) 2011, Europe

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills - skills expected to be held by people with a tertiary-education level degree in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Many jobs require specific technical know-how, from growing vegetables to using a sewing machine, laying bricks or using a computer.
Source: EFA (GMR) 2012, Global

Skills that can be introduced in a different socio-cultural or technical environment, or that can be used in other occupations.
Source: UNEVOC/NCVER 2009, Global

Transferable skills include the ability to solve problems, communicate ideas and information effectively, be creative, show leadership and conscientiousness, and demonstrate entrepreneurial capabilities. People need these skills to be able to adapt to different work environments and so improve their chances of staying in gainful employment.
Source: EFA (GMR) 2012, Global

Skills that are typically considered as not specifically related to a particular job, task, academic discipline or area of knowledge and that can be used in a wide variety of situations and work settings (for example, organizational skills).
Source: UNESCO IBE 2013, Global

Transversal skills are those typically considered as not specifically related to a particular job, task, academic discipline or area of knowledge but as skills that can be used in a wide variety of situations and work settings (IBE 2013). These skills are increasingly in high demand for learners to successfully adapt to changes and to lead meaningful and productive lives. Examples include:

• Critical and innovative thinking
• Inter-personal skills (e.g. presentation and communication
skills, organizational skills, teamwork, etc.)
• Intra-personal skills (e.g. self-discipline, enthusiasm, perseverance, self-motivation, etc.)
• Global citizenship (e.g. tolerance, openness, respect for
diversity, intercultural understanding, etc.)
• Media and information literacy such as the ability to locate and access information, as well as to analyse and evaluate media content (UNESCO 2014c)
Source: UNESCO (Bangkok) 2014, Asia Pacific

Definition of ‘transversal competencies’ has six domains: 1) critical and innovative thinking, 2) interpersonal skills, 3) intrapersonal skills, 4) global citizenship, 5) media and Information literacy, and 6) others. The domain ‘others’ was created as a way for researchers to include competencies, such as physical health or religious values, that may not fall into one of the other.
Source: UNESCO Bangkok 2016, Asia-pacific

Circumstances in the labour market where a person has less skills than required by their current job
Source: EU commission (Skills panorama) 2015, Europe

Short-term targeted training typically provided following initial education or training, and aimed at supplementing, improving or updating knowledge, skills and/or competences acquired during previous training.
Source: CEDEFOP 2008, Europe

Improving skills (e.g. by further training).
Source: NCVER 2013, Australia

Training which aims to enable the person to gain new skill in his occupational in order to advance into a higher skill level .
Source: Ministry of Labour 2005, Jordan