Primary Function
The main functional area or department to which a capability or role is most closely aligned. Used in the Hub to categorise and filter capabilities.
Glossary
Definitions of terms used across the Workforce Foresighting Hub.
A
Accreditation
Formal recognition by an authoritative body that an organisation or programme meets defined standards of quality and competence.
Adaptability
The ability of an individual or organisation to adjust skills, processes, or strategies in response to changing workforce demands and technological developments.
Apprenticeship
A structured training programme combining on-the-job learning with formal education, designed to develop competence in a specific occupation or trade.
Artificial Intelligence
The simulation of human intelligence by computer systems, including learning, reasoning, and self-correction. Increasingly relevant to workforce planning as AI transforms job roles and skill requirements.
Assessment
The systematic process of evaluating an individual's knowledge, skills, and behaviours against defined standards or criteria.
Automation
The use of technology to perform tasks previously carried out by humans. A key driver of workforce change that creates demand for new capabilities while reducing demand for others.
B
Behaviour
Observable actions or conduct demonstrated by an individual in the workplace, often assessed as part of competency frameworks alongside knowledge and skills.
Benchmarking
The process of comparing workforce capabilities, practices, or performance metrics against industry standards or best-in-class organisations.
Business Activity
A distinct operational function or process performed within an organisation that requires specific workforce capabilities to execute effectively.
C
Capability
A specific skill, competence, or area of expertise that an individual or organisation possesses. In the Workforce Foresighting Hub, capabilities are the core unit of analysis, representing what people can do rather than what job title they hold.
Capability Framework
A structured model that defines and organises the capabilities required across an organisation or sector, providing a common language for workforce planning.
Capability Gap
The difference between the capabilities an organisation currently possesses and those it needs to achieve its strategic objectives.
Capability Mapping
The process of identifying, documenting, and visualising the capabilities present within a workforce or required for specific roles and functions.
Career Pathway
A structured sequence of roles, experiences, and development opportunities that enable an individual to progress within or across occupational areas.
Certification
A formal credential awarded by a recognised body confirming that an individual has demonstrated competence in a specific area of knowledge or skill.
Competence
The proven ability to apply knowledge, skills, and behaviours to consistently perform a task or role to the required standard.
Competency Framework
A structured set of competencies that define the behaviours and skills expected at different levels within an organisation or profession.
Continuing Professional Development
Ongoing learning and development activities undertaken by professionals to maintain, improve, and broaden their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. Often abbreviated as CPD.
Cross-functional Skills
Skills that are applicable and transferable across multiple job roles, departments, or sectors, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Current Occupational Profile
A detailed description of an occupation as it exists today, including the capabilities, knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to perform the role effectively. Used as a baseline for foresighting future changes.
Cycle
A structured period of workforce foresighting activity within the Hub. Each cycle focuses on a specific sector or domain, bringing together stakeholders to analyse capabilities and produce Future Occupational Profiles.
D
Data-driven Decision Making
The practice of basing workforce strategy and planning decisions on analysis of quantitative and qualitative data rather than intuition alone.
Demand Forecasting
The process of predicting future workforce requirements based on organisational strategy, market trends, technological change, and other factors.
Digital Literacy
The ability to use digital technologies, communication tools, and networks effectively to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information.
Digital Skills
The range of abilities required to use digital devices, applications, and systems effectively in the workplace and everyday life.
Diversity and Inclusion
Organisational practices and policies that promote the representation, participation, and equitable treatment of people from all backgrounds within the workforce.
E
Employer Engagement
The active involvement of employers in workforce development activities, including defining capability requirements, co-designing training, and providing work-based learning opportunities.
Employability
The combination of skills, knowledge, behaviours, and personal attributes that enable an individual to gain and maintain employment, and to progress within their career.
Emerging Technology
New or rapidly developing technologies that have the potential to significantly impact industries, job roles, and the capabilities required of the workforce.
Entry-level
The starting point for a career in a particular occupation, typically requiring foundational knowledge and skills but limited professional experience.
Evidence Base
The collection of data, research, and documented experience that supports workforce planning decisions and capability assessments.
F
Foresighting
A systematic approach to thinking about and planning for the future, using data, expert knowledge, and scenario analysis to anticipate changes in workforce needs.
FOP
Future Occupational Profile. A forward-looking description of how an occupation is expected to evolve, including new capabilities that will be needed and existing ones that may become less relevant. FOPs are a key output of foresighting cycles.
Full Statement
The complete textual description of a capability, providing detailed information about what the capability entails and how it is applied in practice.
Functional Area
A distinct area of organisational activity, such as engineering, finance, or human resources, that groups related roles and capabilities together.
Future Skills
The capabilities and competencies anticipated to be in demand as industries and job roles evolve due to technological, economic, and social changes.
G
Gap Analysis
A method for comparing current workforce capabilities against future requirements to identify areas where development, recruitment, or restructuring is needed.
Green Skills
The knowledge, abilities, and attitudes needed to develop and support a sustainable, resource-efficient society and economy.
H
Human Capital
The collective knowledge, skills, experience, and attributes of the workforce that contribute to organisational productivity and value creation.
Human Resources
The organisational function responsible for managing the workforce, including recruitment, development, performance management, and workforce planning.
I
Inclusivity
The practice of ensuring that workforce development and planning activities consider and accommodate the needs and perspectives of all groups within the population.
Industry 4.0
The fourth industrial revolution, characterised by the integration of digital technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, and data exchange in manufacturing and other sectors.
Innovation
The introduction of new ideas, methods, products, or processes that create value and drive improvement in workforce practices and organisational performance.
J
Job Role
A defined position within an organisation with specific responsibilities, tasks, and capability requirements. Job roles are often described through occupational profiles.
K
Knowledge
The theoretical or practical understanding of a subject, acquired through education, training, or experience. One of the three components (alongside skills and behaviours) assessed in KSB frameworks.
L
Labour Market
The supply of and demand for labour, where workers seek employment and employers seek candidates. Labour market analysis informs workforce foresighting activities.
Labour Market Intelligence
Data and analysis about the labour market, including employment trends, skill shortages, wage levels, and occupational changes, used to inform workforce planning.
Leadership
The capability to guide, influence, and inspire others to achieve organisational goals. A cross-functional skill increasingly important at all levels of the workforce.
Learning and Development
The organisational function and set of activities focused on improving the performance and capabilities of the workforce through structured training, education, and experiential learning.
Lifelong Learning
The continuous, voluntary pursuit of knowledge and skills throughout an individual's life, driven by both personal and professional motivations.
M
Manufacturing
The sector concerned with the production of goods using labour, machinery, and processes. A key focus area for workforce foresighting due to rapid technological change.
Mentoring
A developmental relationship in which a more experienced individual provides guidance, support, and knowledge to a less experienced person to support their professional growth.
Micro-credential
A short, focused certification that verifies a specific skill or competency, often delivered through online learning platforms and stackable toward larger qualifications.
N
National Occupational Standards
Statements of the standards of performance, knowledge, and understanding that individuals need to achieve when carrying out a particular role in the UK workplace.
O
Occupation
A set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised by a high degree of similarity, typically grouped under a standard classification system.
Occupational Profile
A comprehensive description of an occupation, including its purpose, typical duties, required capabilities, and the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed for competent performance.
Open Access
The principle of making data, resources, and tools freely available to all users without restriction. The Open Access Portal provides public access to workforce foresighting intelligence.
Open Data
Data that is freely available for anyone to use, share, and build upon without restrictions. Workforce capability data in the Hub is published under open data principles.
Organisation
An entity such as a company, institution, or government body that employs people and has workforce capability needs. Organisations participate in foresighting cycles and contribute capability data.
Organisational Profile
A summary of an organisation's characteristics, sector, size, and workforce capabilities as recorded in the Hub. Used to contextualise capability data and support cross-organisational analysis.
Origin Type
A classification that identifies the source or provenance of a capability within the Hub. Origin types help users understand where capability data comes from and how it was validated.
Outcome
A measurable result or achievement that demonstrates the successful application of a capability or completion of a learning or development activity.
P
Pathway
A route or sequence of steps that an individual follows to develop capabilities and progress in their career, often defined within career pathway frameworks.
Performance Management
The ongoing process of setting objectives, assessing progress, and providing feedback to ensure employees meet organisational goals and develop their capabilities.
Productivity
The measure of output per unit of input in the workforce. Improving productivity is a key objective of workforce development and capability building.
Professional Development
Structured activities and experiences designed to enhance an individual's professional knowledge, skills, and effectiveness in their current or future roles.
Proficiency Level
A defined stage or degree of competence in a capability, typically ranging from foundational to expert, used to assess and benchmark workforce capability.
Q
Qualification
A formal award recognised by education or professional bodies, certifying that an individual has achieved a defined level of knowledge and skill.
Quality Assurance
Systematic processes to ensure that workforce data, training programmes, and assessment methods meet defined standards of reliability and validity.
R
Reskilling
The process of learning new skills to transition into a different job role or occupation, often driven by technological change or shifts in labour market demand.
Resilience
The ability of individuals and organisations to adapt to disruption, recover from setbacks, and continue to develop workforce capabilities in changing circumstances.
Return on Investment
A measure of the value gained from workforce development activities relative to their cost, used to evaluate the effectiveness of training and capability-building initiatives.
S
Scenario Planning
A strategic method that explores multiple plausible futures to help organisations prepare for different possible changes in workforce demand and capability requirements.
Sector
A distinct part of the economy grouping organisations with similar activities, such as manufacturing, healthcare, or technology. Foresighting cycles often focus on specific sectors.
Skill
The learned ability to perform a specific task or activity competently. Skills can be technical (specific to an occupation) or transferable (applicable across roles).
Skills Audit
A systematic review of the skills and capabilities present within a workforce, used to identify strengths, gaps, and priorities for development.
Skills Gap
A mismatch between the skills that employers need and the skills that the available workforce possesses. Identifying and addressing skills gaps is a primary objective of workforce foresighting.
Skills Shortage
A situation where there are not enough workers with the required skills to fill available positions, often requiring recruitment, training, or immigration interventions.
Skills Taxonomy
A hierarchical classification system that organises skills and capabilities into categories and subcategories, enabling consistent description and comparison.
Stakeholder
Any individual or organisation with an interest in or influence over workforce development, including employers, educators, government bodies, and professional associations.
Standard
A defined level of quality, attainment, or competence that serves as a benchmark for assessment, training, or professional practice.
Strategic Workforce Planning
The long-term, systematic approach to ensuring an organisation has the right people with the right capabilities in the right roles at the right time.
Subject Matter Expert
An individual with deep knowledge and expertise in a specific domain, often consulted during foresighting cycles to validate capability definitions and future trends.
Supply and Demand
The relationship between the available workforce (supply) and the capabilities and roles that employers need (demand). Balancing supply and demand is central to workforce planning.
Sustainability
The practice of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations, increasingly reflected in workforce planning through green skills and sustainable practices.
T
Tag
A label or keyword assigned to capabilities in the Hub to enable categorisation, filtering, and cross-referencing. Tags often correspond to KSBs from apprenticeship standards or other classification systems.
Talent Management
The strategic approach to attracting, developing, retaining, and deploying people with the capabilities needed to meet current and future organisational needs.
Talent Pipeline
A pool of qualified candidates being developed for future workforce needs, often built through education partnerships, apprenticeships, and graduate programmes.
Technical Skills
Specialised knowledge and abilities required to perform specific tasks within a particular occupation or industry, as distinct from transferable or soft skills.
Technology Adoption
The process by which organisations and individuals integrate new technologies into their work practices, often requiring new capabilities and training.
Training
Structured activities designed to develop specific knowledge, skills, or behaviours in the workforce, delivered through formal courses, workshops, or on-the-job instruction.
Training Needs Analysis
A systematic process for identifying the training and development interventions required to close capability gaps and meet organisational objectives.
Transferable Skills
Skills that can be applied across different jobs, industries, and contexts, such as communication, critical thinking, and project management.
Trend Analysis
The examination of data over time to identify patterns and directions of change in the labour market, technology, and workforce capability requirements.
U
Upskilling
The process of teaching current workers additional skills or enhancing their existing capabilities to meet evolving job requirements.
V
Validation
The process of confirming that capability definitions, occupational profiles, or workforce data accurately represent real-world requirements and conditions.
Vocational Education
Education and training focused on practical skills and knowledge directly applicable to specific occupations or trades.
W
Workforce
The total number of people employed or available for work within an organisation, sector, or economy.
Workforce Analytics
The use of data analysis techniques to understand workforce trends, predict future needs, and support evidence-based decision making in human resources and planning.
Workforce Development
A broad set of activities aimed at improving the skills, knowledge, and capabilities of the workforce to meet economic and organisational needs.
Workforce Foresighting
The systematic process of anticipating future workforce needs by analysing trends, engaging stakeholders, and developing forward-looking occupational and capability profiles. The core activity of the Workforce Foresighting Hub.
Workforce Foresighting Hub
A collaborative platform that brings together employers, educators, and policymakers to analyse current workforce capabilities and anticipate future skill needs through structured foresighting cycles.
Workforce Planning
The process of analysing, forecasting, and planning workforce supply and demand to ensure an organisation has the capabilities it needs to achieve its objectives.
Work-based Learning
Learning that takes place through engagement in productive work activities, combining practical experience with structured reflection and assessment.