skills

A skill is the learned ability to perform a task with competence. Skills are demonstrated through action and behavior, and are acquired through practice and experience. They are distinct from knowledge or understanding alone, because a skill implies procedural ability and consistency in real-world performance.

Skills are commonly divided into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are domain-specific and measurable, such as coding, accounting, or machinery operation. Soft skills are interpersonal and broadly applicable, including communication, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving. Within these, cognitive, psychomotor, and social dimensions may be identified.

Development of skills typically proceeds through deliberate practice, instruction, feedback, and reflection. Learning environments such as formal schooling, vocational training, apprenticeships, and self-directed study contribute, with repetition and progressively challenging tasks driving improvement. Motivation and opportunities for real-world application influence the rate of skill acquisition.

Assessment of skills uses tests, practical demonstrations, portfolios, certifications, and performance reviews. Competency frameworks and job analyses help define required skills for roles and identify gaps. Transferability describes the ability to apply skills across contexts, which is central to lifelong learning.

In workplaces and education systems, skills are valued as a basis for hiring, promotion, and adaptation to changing technologies. The growing emphasis on lifelong learning reflects the need to update and expand skill sets over the course of a career.