LifeComp: Learning to Learn, Collaborate and Live with Awareness

Beyond technical skills: the value of soft skills

In a constantly evolving job market, technical skills alone are no longer enough. Employers increasingly seek people who can collaborate, manage stress, adapt to change and continue learning throughout life. But how do we define and measure these "soft skills"?

The LifeComp framework, published in 2020 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, offers a structured answer. For the first time, personal and social competences, along with learning to learn, are described systematically with clear definitions and operational descriptors.

The 3 areas and 9 competences

LifeComp is organised into 3 areas with 3 competences each:

Personal area - Self-regulation (awareness and management of emotions), Flexibility (handling transitions and uncertainty), Wellbeing (pursuing life satisfaction and caring for physical, mental and social health).

Social area - Empathy (understanding others' emotions and values), Communication (using appropriate strategies, including active listening), Collaboration (teamwork, negotiation, trust-building).

Learning to learn - Growth mindset (believing in learning potential, seeing errors as opportunities), Critical thinking (evaluating information, recognising biases), Managing learning (planning, organising and reviewing one's learning journey).

LifeComp as a cross-cutting foundation

LifeComp does not exist in isolation. The personal and social competences it describes are the substrate on which all other European competences are built. You cannot be digitally competent (DigComp) without critical thinking. You cannot act for sustainability (GreenComp) without empathy and collaboration. You cannot be entrepreneurial (EntreComp) without flexibility and learning management.

Explore all 9 LifeComp competences on the dedicated portal at ExplorerHub.