Transferable competences and personal, social and employability (PSE) qualifications: some international evidence

A new report by Simon Field looks at some of the wider international experience and evidence that relates to personal, social and employability (PSE) qualifications in England.

A new report by Simon Field looks at some of the wider international experience and evidence that relates to personal, social and employability (PSE) qualifications in England.

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition that some broader human characteristics that go beyond specific academic disciplines or occupation-specific skills are extremely important for both life and work. These transferable competences include qualities such as creativity, resilience and adaptability, and are distinct from cognitive skills like numeracy and literacy. England has been unusual in seeking to directly package some transferable skills into PSE qualifications designed primarily for young adults.

The report finds that although countries are putting a greater emphasis on the importance of these competences there is still a lack of a consensus about how to define them, demonstrated by the list of taxonomies provided in the report. Few countries outside the UK have qualifications similar to the PSE qualifications in England. However, many of these countries have training programmes which seek to support youth at risk, the success of these programmes is very limited. Where they have been successful the programmes are intensive and relatively comprehensive, seeking to develop transversal competences alongside other forms of training, which may also include job search strategies and work experience.

Finally, Simon Field goes on to suggest that England like Scotland and Wales should develop a list of key transversal competences that could be used to support the development of qualifications, programmes and assessments.

Read the full report here.