This document analyzes the skills and competencies needed for frontline workers and management in the social care sector given current societal and policy changes. Through a literature review and focus groups, six generic competencies were identified as important: empowerment, brokerage skills, multicultural diversity, transdisciplinary teamwork, knowledge management skills, and leadership. Innovative vocational education and training programs in five EU member states that develop these competencies are described. Key drivers of high-quality programs include involvement of service users, European-level organization, research cooperation, European grants, and blended learning methods. The document recommends investing in and adapting vocational training systems while stimulating partnerships, research, European collaboration, quality assurance, and links to

1. Generic competences and vocational education and training in the social
care sector
Prof. Dr. Koen Hermans
LUCAS Centre for Care research and Consultancy KU Leuven
Current societal and policy changes cause new social risks and new vulnerable groups. These
changes demand new skills and competences of frontline workers in the social and health
services. This study, which was commissioned by Cedefop, analyses the consequences of
these changes in terms of needed skills and competences of frontline workers and
management in the social care sector. Innovative VET programs which fill the gap between
the current and needed competencies are described and analysed. The identification of generic
competencies is an efficient way to draw relevant conclusions on the most pregnant training
needs in the social care sector.
1 Generic competences of frontline staff and management
The first phase of the study consists of a literature review to gather scientific evidence on
generic competences on the one hand and focus groups in five Member States on the other
hand. The results of the focus groups and the literature review are compared and discussed
with the project partners and during a hearing with relevant stakeholders. This results in a list
of six generic competences which are needed to face the current societal and policy changes
and to make social services more effective for the most vulnerable groups in society:
- Empowerment:
o Recognition of and respect for individual rights and human dignity
o To enhance and to stimulate self-realization, self-determination and personal
mastery over one’s own life
o To ensure the equal enjoyment of all human rights without discrimination
o To involve service users in decision making
- Brokerage skills
o To assist service users to identify, access and benefit from relevant community
services in different life domains
o To assist service users to develop a natural support system consisting of friends
and family
o To work with the local community to create an inclusive and accepting
environment in which everyone can participate

2. - Multicultural diversity :
o To respect different cultures and to be sensitive for cultural differences
o To adapt interventions to the different cultures and to search for ethno-sensitive
interventions
- Transdisciplinary teamwork:
o The team members share roles systematically across discipline boundaries.
o Professionals from different disciplines teach, learn, and work together to
accomplish a common set of intervention goals
- Knowledge management skills:
o To transfer theoretical knowledge into practice and to transfer knowledge to other
social services and social care sectors
o To integrate new technological developments into social services
- Leadership:
o To create an organisational culture based on a central vision and key values
o Entrepreneurship
o change management
2 Innovative vocational education and training
In the five Member States, good VET programs on generic competencies are gathered. In this
study, VET is broadly defined. As a consequence, we see large differences in terms of
duration, learning outcomes, didactic approach, certification and accreditation. The level of
development of the social care sector is an important explanation of the extent of coverage
and content of VET programs.
Based on the good practices, this study highlights five drivers of change:
- The involvement of service users in VET.
- VET programs organized at the European level
- The cooperation with research institutions
- European grants as drivers for change.
- The combination of different learning methods
This study also analyses the quality assurance systems of these VET programs. To guarantee
the quality of VET, at least five quality measures are necessary:
- Involvement of stakeholders in the different phases of the quality cycle
- Investment in flexible programs which make a more tailor-made approach possible
- Assessment of the effects of the VET on the trainees, the organisation and on the
quality of care (goal attainment)

3. - Cooperation with the university or other knowledge centres to link the VET with
research and development
- Assessment of the satisfaction, learning processes and the (objective) learning
outcomes of the trainees
3 Policy recommendations
The seven main policy recommendations of this study are:
1. Invest in VET systems as a response to growing shortages of social care workers
2. Adapt VET systems in social care to the culture and character of the social care sector
in each country
3. Stimulate partnerships with research institutions, employers, unions, service users and
voluntary service providers
4. Stimulate research on the effects of VET on care and outcomes in services and society
5. Explore the possibility of creating more VET programs on the European level
6. Support the development of indicators and systems
7. Develop the links between the generic competencies and the European Qualification
Framework