Expert Support to the ESCO Cross-Sector Reference Group

Within the Framework Service Contract to provide expertise and support for a European Cooperation in Education and Training – Lot 1 the Commission/DG EAC has asked 3s for continued support in connection with ongoing developments of the Cross-Sector Reference Group (CSRG).

By mid-2012 the CSRG had developed a first draft structure of cross-sectoral skills, which was used as a reference model when attributing national compilations of detailed cross-sectoral skills collected by members of this group.This structure was tested by 3s, where an empirical study consisting of two complementary strands was carried out: the first, a mainly quantitative analysis of different thesauri in use in selected labour market applications in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, the US, plus the international classification system, DISCO; the second,  a mainly qualitative analysis of cross-sectoral skills found in vocational education programmes in Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, plus a basic skills framework in Norway.

The overall aim of this research was to establish an empirical basis for a taxonomy of cross-sectoral skills that would inform the general structure and the organisation of the hierarchy, and would generate insights into the range of concepts and detailed terms to fill it. 

Further support to the work of the CSRG will be delivered throughout 2013, to be able to finalise a model for cross-sector skills and competences within ESCO.