The term "key qualifications" was introduced in the 1970s, mainly through the contributions of Dieter Mertens. He understood it as "such knowledge, skills and abilities which do not yield immediate and limited reference to specific [...] activities, but rather a) the aptitude for a large number of positions and functions [...] at the same time and b) the aptitude for coping with a sequence of (mostly unpredictable) changes of requirements in the course of life." (1)

Somewhat more catchily, the Education Commission NRW defined key qualifications in 1995 as "acquirable general skills, attitudes and strategies that are useful in solving problems and acquiring new competences in as many content areas as possible". (2)

The following results from these definitional attempts:

1. Key qualifications are general abilities and skills, i.e. those that can be used in a wide variety of fields under changing conditions. They are not specialised knowledge; rather, they enable competent handling of it. Key qualifications are interdisciplinary.
2. The concept of competence particularly emphasises "skills and abilities" over mere knowledge. It is not just a matter of knowledge that can be applied in practice, but of a skill that (usually) only emerges through repeated application. Key qualifications can therefore not only be taught through theoretical input, but also through practical exercises: Not just getting to know, but being able to learn!
3. However, it is certainly not part of the university's self-image to teach only practical skills and abilities. The teaching of key qualifications can only do justice to the academic claim if it endeavours to deal with them scientifically, i.e. to present and critically question the underlying theoretical models in each case.

Why do I need key qualifications? [Continue reading]