Skillsnavigation

Skillsnavigation is a framework for planning and managing the development of skills across personal, educational, and professional domains. The term combines skill development with navigation, framing learners and organizations as travelers steering toward stated outcomes such as a job role, certification, or milestone. In practice, skillsnavigation involves four core activities: mapping current capabilities to a shared skill taxonomy or task list; identifying gaps between present skills and target competencies; designing learning paths or experiences to close those gaps; and monitoring progress with feedback mechanisms and updated outcomes.

Applications include individual career planning, curricular design in education, and organizational talent development. For individuals, it supports structured upskilling by translating abstract goals into concrete skill blocks and milestones. For educators and trainers, it informs curriculum alignment with industry needs. For employers, it supports competency-based hiring and internal mobility by clarifying what skills are required and where to invest resources.

Methodologies underpinning skillsnavigation draw on skill taxonomies and competency frameworks, task analyses, and learning analytics. Data sources may include resumes, assessments, microcredentials, job postings, and performance data.

Benefits include clearer pathways, improved alignment between learning and labor-market needs, and the ability to track progress over time. Challenges involve data quality and bias, rapidly changing skill requirements, and ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities.

See also: competency framework, career pathways, learning analytics, upskilling, microcredentials.