Skills for life. The Challenge for Research in Adult Education

“Skills for life” cannot be simply equated with non-cognitive skills. They represent a distinct construct, different from other commonly used terms, often kept as synonyms, such as “transversal skills,” “managerial skills,” or “soft skills.” Understanding their specificity allows us to define the most suitable environments and methods for their learning and development. This article, after focusing on the idea of “skills for life” and its slow but progressive recognition over the last two decades, aims to identify the spaces where informal education already supports the development of these skills. It also wants to reflect on how to strengthen “skills for life” within various formal and informal educational opportunities. Teaching and learning on your own “skills for life” is possible providing that i) “skills in action” are enhanced and ii) educational initiatives anchored to reality and to the emerging needs of territories and communities are undertaken.