TVETipedia Glossary

Skill

Skill is defined as the ability to carry out the tasks and duties of a given job. For the purposes of ISCO-08, two dimensions of skill are used to arrange occupations into groups. These are skill level and skill specialization.

Source:
ILO, ISCO: International Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008-2014
ILO, ISCO: International Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008-2014
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The International Classification of Occupations (ISCO) seeks to facilitate international communication about occupations by providing statisticians with a framework to make internationally comparable occupational data available, and by allowing international occupational data to be produced in a form that can be useful for research as well as for specific decision-making and action-oriented activities. The current version, known as ISCO-08, was published in 2008 and is the fourth iteration, following ISCO-58, ISCO-68 and ISCO-88.

Ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems.

Source: Cedefop, 2014; European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2008

Source:
Cedefop, Glossary. Terminology of European education and training policy, (accessed 03/2023)
Cedefop, Glossary. Terminology of European education and training policy, (accessed 03/2023)
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This multilingual glossary (provided in a multitude of European languages) defines a selection of key terms used in European education and training policy. It is a revised and expanded version of the “Terminology of European education and training policy – A selection of 130 key terms” (2014). It considers new priorities of European Union policy, mainly concerning skills intelligence and employment. New definitions have been developed in collaboration with the experts of Cedefop’s departments VET and Skills and VET and Qualifications.

Ability to carry out mental or manual activity, acquired through learning and practice, where skill is an overarching term which includes knowledge, competency and experience as well as the ability to apply these in order to complete tasks and solve work-related problems.

Source:
ILO, Changing demand for skills in digital economies and societies: Literature review and case studies from low- and middle-income countries. (Glossary on pp. 12-13), 2021
ILO, Changing demand for skills in digital economies and societies: Literature review and case studies from low- and middle-income countries. (Glossary on pp. 12-13), 2021
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The report sheds light on changing demand for skills in digital economies and societies, based mostly on a literature review, supported by a set of case studies from low- and middle-income countries. It reviews different approaches to measuring digital skills, and discusses the impact of digitalization on skills and related policy recommendations. It shows that, while digitalization may vary widely in its extent and forms across countries and sectors, its impact on jobs and skills is nevertheless considerable everywhere.