The reference framework of competencies at the heart of qualifying training

Abstract

The interest in competency development has been growing for several decades and has crystallized the interest of specialists from various backgrounds, in particular because of its multiple links with the constantly changing world of work. The main objective of this paper is to assess the way in which skills are mobilized (required by the labor market) in the (training) practices of vocational training establishments.

Given the important role that the competency framework can play in teaching pedagogy and its impact on the improvement of the quality of training, our reflection will try to answer the following question:

With reference to the concept of the competency framework, in what way does the training system allow students in the institution to effectively acquire the basic competencies required for the exercise of their profession?

By conducting our research using a multidisciplinary approach. We conducted a survey of internal actors (students, teachers and educational management) in a private nursing school that allowed us to contextualize these notions and to compare them with some empirical data. The present research has enabled us to arrive at the following results: it appears that the institution that served as our fieldwork does not have a clear and precise reference framework of competencies. Thus, teaching practices are not based on a formalized reference framework, and students lack confidence in the professional skills they have acquired during their training at the institution. This is due in part to the lack of pedagogical tools and methods that promote self-directed learning and autonomy.

Keywords: Reference framework of competencies, qualifying training, professional aptitude, competence-based approach.

JEL classification: I210. J240

Paper Type: Empirical Research