Skills vs Competency: What’s the Difference?

Competency vs Skills: Defining Them

When it comes to skills vs competency, what are the primary differences? How do they eventually fit together? And most importantly, why does it matter?

Based on who you ask, you may receive complicated answers. We, Aditya Birla World Academy, which is the best international school in Mumbai , are making it extremely simple.

Several schools have traditionally relied on competency models for the measurement of performance. Presently, some schools are seeking the alternative, which is skill based education.

So, should the focus be on a skill model or a competency model? Learning as well as talent leaders have voiced strong opinions regarding which is the best. Here’s a key point: they both eventually address the same thing: how to bring out the best in a student? When it comes to skills vs knowledge, both are equally important.

Let’s see how international school in Mumbai defines “competency” and “skill.”

• Competency

Competency refers to knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes that successfully lead to the ability to do something efficiently . For instance, a school student may be competent in one or more of the subjects being taught.

• Skill

Skills are essentially learned and applied capabilities that use one’s knowledge efficiently when it comes to execution and performance. Taking the same example of a school student, he or she may be skilled in a certain task such as adeptness in the subject of Mathematics, playing the guitar, or kicking the football.

Whether a school is making use of competencies or skills in measuring development of the student, the goal remains the same: assessing the student, identification of areas for growth, and providing the best opportunities to learn as well as stay engaged .

Competencies vs Skills: Breaking Them Down

While both competencies and skills may seem complicated, they are ideas you can frequently blend when you are planning strategies and goals for your students. Comprehending how they work can help you successfully determine when and how each model or an effective combination is best for your students.

Competencies (Potent, with Limits)

When it comes to skills vs competency, the later requires something more than mere ability and knowledge. It is a mix of attitudes and behaviours. Moreover, it can include skills as well. That said, managing such a complex and large model can be quite challenging because as some learned individuals have opined that competencies are aspirational and big-picture.

• Value-Based: Competence skills:

These are specific to a particular subject. Because they are eventually tied to culture and values, they are not easily standardised or measured.

• Rigid:

Competencies are not agile but rigid in practice. It can take months to several years for some students to reach a certain level of competency. You could be skilled in solving algebraic problems in a few days, but you cannot become thoroughly competent in Algebra in that same duration. In the present-day world, which is fast-paced and ever-evolving, agility and adaptability are crucial for success.

• Non-Transferrable:

Competence skills are usually mapped to individual behaviours or functions, making it difficult to transfer them across a classroom.

Skills (Efficient and Agile):

When it comes to skills and skill based education , we are making use of the language that individuals use to describe their own development. Skills are usually smaller and more manageable in comparison with competencies, making them highly easy to track.

• Can be Developed:

Think of skills such as communication skills or computer programming or even soft skills such as active listening. These can be learned in a few days, weeks, or even months, with improvement in practice over the course of time.

• Can be Measured:

In contrast to being value-based or outcome-based, skills can be successfully standardised and measured. By making use of a standard rating system with skills as a specific unit, schools can measure growth and track progress when it comes to their students.

• Are Applicable:

Work can be deconstructed into three primary components: tasks, projects, and roles. Skills are made use of to perform tasks. Tasks are things that are needed to complete projects. Projects are how roles are eventually organised. This means skills are precisely how work gets done.

• Are Transferrable:

Skills (such as programming or effective communication) are transferrable between students, roles, tasks, and projects. When it comes to skills vs knowledge, both are strongly linked.

So, thus far, we have successfully analysed competency vs skills.

The Bottomline

When it comes to skills and competencies, competency is the language of behaviour , while the previous is the language of work. Eventually, whichever method you choose must be the right fit for your school and its students. Ensure that your model can efficiently and successfully assess your students, identify areas for growth, and offer the best opportunities to learn and gain experience.