TThe contribution refers to a debate which has taken place in countries where the dual system of initial training is established. In the course of EQF discussion, in countries like Austria or Germany the apprehension arose that important learning outcomes might not be considered: Professional experience introduced by initial training in these countries guarantees that a maximum of required abilities will be developed, including those which are not immediately visible and as such are not always subject of specific reflection: They are normally comprehended under the term professional competence [berufliche Handlungsfähigkeit] . Learning by doing, carried out for a longer period, normally makes sure that the development of all relevant abilities takes place as also the flexibility of dealing with unforeseen situations should be trained. Important abilities of this kind might remain unconsidered if a catalogue of necessary abilities has to be produced as, at least at first sight, some of these abilities elude systematic description – and why encumber the hard and possibly not successful task to define them completely if the method of initial training within the dual system ensures that a maximum of these abilities will be developed? The contribution provided for the conference will show that it is possible to avoid the destruction of the professional competence concept if EQF descriptors are concretised by relating them to the work process to be considered an ensemble of activities, not carried out as separately ongoing operations, but as parts of a work structure which is determined by a common work objective, understood as the intention to produce specific goods or to deliver specific services. In terms of abilities required for fulfilling the tasks within this structure, an equivalent can be determined by a work-related interpretation of the EQF-descriptor competence which at all levels includes reference to a work or study: If this work or study is understood in the above described objective-oriented way, a reference objective, typical for a specific profession, can be defined as the ability to fulfill tasks oriented to achieve a predefined work objective at one of the EQF levels, defined by the degree of responsibility and autonomy. The objective-orientation of the EQF category competence has consequences for the understanding of the other EQF categories knowledge and skills: They are no longer to be considered independently from competence, but related to it in a functional way, interpreted as instruments to achieve the reference objective.

This approach of describing occupational profiles is based on a concretisation of the EQF category competence by a reference objective mirroring overall objectives of specific work. This approach was discussed in the EQF-related project European Automotive Sector Competence Meta-Framework (EASCMF) (co-ordinated by the author) where publicly recognised occupational profiles of various European countries were collected in order to design a European core profile which was then described via the approach presented in the paper at hand.

The contribution provided for the conference shall deliver the outline of an approach to describe occupational profiles in a way which enables their assignment to the European Qualification Framework (EQF) on the one hand, but makes on the other hand sure that professional competence is still considered in a holistic way, not allowing for presenting it as a mere summary of abilities required for doing a job. This shall be realized within a model which is based on the occupation-specific work process, defined as an ensemble of operations steered by a common work objective; the reference objective of an occupation reflects this work objective in terms of abilities required to achieve the work objective; as a concretization of the EQF descriptor competence the reference objective determines knowledge and skills as instruments used to achieve this goal.