Concepts of professions

The existing descriptions of professions are heterogeneous and associated with different concepts. The description of a profession includes the most important aspects that characterise this profession as well as the corresponding education and training (education or training programmes, type of work/tasks and career options).

An occupational profile, on the other hand, focuses on what is typical of a profession and what is different from other professions, i.e., what makes it distinctive. This includes areas of work, tasks, responsibilities, competencies, main and specialised fields of work, as well as forms of cooperation with other professions, (further and ongoing) training schemes and the history and perspective of a profession.

A performance profile describes the sum of what a profession, or rather a professional, produces as a process and result of professional activity. Here the focus is placed on a structured description of activities and performance (e.g. performance packages with individual components).

We study descriptions of professions as well as occupational and performance profiles and compare them to already existing professions and the range of functions they cover. In addition, we link them to social demands, needs and benefits, analyse them systematically on the basis of reliable data and information and enter into negotiations with the individual occupational groups and relevant decision makers with the aim of further development of existing, or establishment of new, professions.

Contact: Gertrud Bronneberg, Gerhard Patzner, Ingrid Rottenhofer