Vocational education and training - VET

This document is the principal outcome of an ambitious collaborative project between Concordia University and Dawson College to co-construct an artificial intelligence (Al) competency framework that supports the creation of success pipelines for learners from college to university to lifelong learning. The aim is to provide a flexible tool for educators, program developers, recognition of acquired competencies (RAC) coordinators, and other stakeholders engaged with developing curriculum and training programs that address ever-evolving Al talent needs. Growing evidence for an accelerating rate of digital transformation further amplified by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, motivated us to look toward curriculum frameworks that are general in focus. For this reason, we have clustered AI competencies that may be used in varied higher education contexts along the pipeline for the pressing needs of today while being adaptable and extensible for the future.

The AI competency framework is a result of extensive consultation with subject matter experts, instructional designers, and program development professionals. It serves as a curriculum development resource that can balance the technical, business, and human domains with ethics and civics in educational programs and professional training. Since the competencies are modular, they can be combined to fit specific objectives and program goals.

In the face of numerous challenges and in persevering through the pandemic conditions, our team proudly celebrates the achievement of this work. It points to our shared responsibility in higher education to accompany learners through the acquisition of skills and knowledge along paths toward a lifetime of learning for the good of all. This also marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration with opportunities to partner, innovate, and tackle education challenges in the age of AI. We hope that this AI competency framework user guide will be a valuable addition to your AI education toolkit.

Frameworks can be incredibly useful. They structure planning and development. But there are a lot of frameworks out there, so why use a competency framework in particular? If you’re like most of our clients, you likely don’t yet have a competency framework in place. Most organizations have a set of values or other guiding principles. These can include mission and vision statements, outlines of corporate culture, or department- and team-specific rules. Competency frameworks are a little different, and they can be beneficial for a variety of reasons.

Unlike the guiding philosophy of mission, vision, and value statements, competency frameworks tend to be more skills-based. They map out tangible requirements for leaders to meet in order to thrive in a particular position. That means you can benefit from a competency framework – even if your organization has other models in place.