Concept

There are three main aspects that are important to know about the ProfilPASS:

1. People acquire competences mainly in informal environments

First it is based on the idea that each person has developed competences in her or his life that are the basis of their acting in everyday life. Also it is based on the fact that people learn mostly in informal environments like family and through coping with challenges of the world. The fact that all human beings have competences and that all competences are valuable regardless of where they have been acquired is an important underlying idea of the ProfilPASS.

2. The term competence

A competency is more than just knowledge and skills. It involves the ability to meet complex demands, by drawing on and mobilising resources (including skills and attitudes) in a particular context. For example, the ability to communicate effectively is a competency that may draw on an individual's knowledge of language, practical IT skills and attitudes towards those with whom he or she is communicating.

What is the difference between a skill and a competence in the ProfilPASS?
In the ProfilPASS folder the user is first asked to document what she or he has done in detail in various fields of activities. In the second step he or she has to describe skills and abilities that have been used by doing this. In the last step the ProfilPASS asked the user to rate the skill on a certain level (level A-C). Now the ProfilPASS defines competences as skills which one has mastered in other contexts / fields of activities as well, and which one may also be able to explain and demonstrate. Because of their broad area of application, these types of skills are called competences.

3. The importance of accompanying advice and underlying theories in the ProfilPASS

Most people are not very conscious about their competences. They rarely experience a reflection and exploration of their competences. For this reason it is important to provide accompanying advice and support. In addition to the folder the second important element of the ProfilPASS is therefore the engagement with professional ProfilPASS advisors who assist people in finding out what competences they have. The ProfilPASS advisors are trained in a course in which they get to know the philosophy and the underlying theoretical approaches.