Competency Framework

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Competency Framework Summary

GLOBE STEMSS Competency Framework Summary

Research Study on Global Learning Practices in Higher Education

DATE

January 2026

VERSION

Download

RESPONSIBLE PARTNER

SASS

REVIEWER

All partners

What competencies do students and professionals need today to deal with digitalisation, sustainability, and innovation?
How do existing European competence frameworks apply in real university contexts?
How can these competencies be translated into concrete learning outcomes and courses?

Rather than inventing new competencies, the project builds on three established EU frameworks:

DigComp 2.2 (digital competencies)
EntreComp (entrepreneurial competencies)
GreenComp (sustainability competencies)

University students (undergraduate, graduate, lifelong learners)
Academic staff and trainers
Curriculum designers and programme managers
Higher education institutions as organisations
Industry professionals and employers
Policy makers and project evaluators

Each competency is explicitly justified for six different target groups, which makes it easier for non-educational stakeholders to see why a competency matters in practice, not just in theory.

Dimension 1: European competence foundations — visual diagrams explaining DigComp, EntreComp, GreenComp.
Dimension 2: Competency descriptions with justification — official EU definition, partner selection, and a justification table for multiple stakeholders.
Dimension 3: Concrete learning outcomes — real examples from partner universities, including knowledge, skills, responsibility and autonomy, course/curriculum, and proficiency level.

Digital competencies (DigComp 2.2) — 13 competencies across five areas, including searching and evaluating information, managing data, communication and collaboration, creating digital content, privacy/safety/wellbeing, problem solving, and responsible use of emerging technologies (including AI).
Entrepreneurial competencies (EntreComp) — 11 competencies including spotting opportunities, creativity and valuing ideas, ethical and sustainable thinking, motivation and perseverance, mobilising resources and people, planning, managing uncertainty, and teamwork.
Sustainability competencies (GreenComp) — 9 competencies grouped into sustainability values, systems and critical thinking, futures and adaptability, collective action and individual initiative.

What makes this different:

Integrates three EU frameworks instead of treating them separately.
Includes multiple European institutional perspectives, avoiding a single-country bias.
Links competencies directly to curricula and courses, not just policy language.
Explains relevance for non-academic stakeholders, especially industry and institutions.
Provides proficiency levels, supporting assessment and certification.
Uses a repeatable template, making the framework scalable and transferable.
Balances European coherence with local flexibility, allowing adaptation.

How it can be used in practice:

Curriculum mapping and redesign
Development of micro-credentials and training modules
Institutional digital and sustainability strategies
Employer dialogue on graduate skills
Competency-based assessment and quality assurance
Future learning-path and tool development within the project

Global Learning Opportunities for Green and Sustainability Education in STEAM and Social Sciences Degrees — Erasmus+ 2024-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000251748. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there.