Competence Model of the Cultural and Educational Worker

Introduction

The cultural and educational worker comes into the center of our attention, about whom much has been discussed in the last decade in relation to their work requirements. In our context, several experts have addressed the cultural and educational worker, such as Čornaničová (2004, 2006, 2011), Čornaničová, Denciová (1999), Denciová (2006), Chomová (2006, 2010, 2015), Chomová, Krystoň (2011), Krystoň (2010a), Krystoň (2011), Lenhardtová (2015), Prusáková (2007, 2014), Šerák (2011) and others.

Currently, the profession of "cultural and educational worker" meets the characteristics of a modern profession and we perceive it, in agreement with several experts (Čornaničová, Denciová, 1999, Šerák, 2011, Chomová, 2015 and others), as one of the specializations of the profession "andragogue". According to Chomová (2010), this profession is moving towards a full-fledged profession because it is characterized by criteria such as the criterion of a high level of knowledge, benefit to society, the criterion of autonomy, the criterion of a code of ethics, professional organizations, professional culture and ethics, which predestine it for high-quality performance of its profession.

In the professional literature, we find several different approaches according to which we can characterize the profession of the cultural and educational worker and define their competences. This difference stems primarily from the diverse positions and varied work activities that cultural and educational workers perform. However, agreement can be observed in the assertion that workers in the cultural and educational education of adults should possess a wide range of competences that can help them improve and more effectively use their abilities in the work process.

1 The Cultural and Educational Worker

The cultural and educational worker is a profession with a long and rich tradition that has undergone its own development and transformation. In older literary sources (Škoda, 1972, Pasiar, 1975, Škoda, Paška, 1977, Hotár, Paška, Perhács, 2000 and others) we encounter the older term "educational worker" (osvetový pracovník), whose job content was the mediation of culture, the dissemination of education, planning, organizing and implementing cultural and educational activities. The educational worker was once referred to as a creative worker in the field of culture, art and education. The emergence of this profession can be dated to the period of national revival and the Enlightenment, when education as a factor in the education and awareness of broad layers of the people became involved in the nation-building and anti-feudal struggle. In the role of educational worker at that time, mainly priests, doctors, teachers, representatives of Sunday schools and Štúr societies and others from among the educated acted. With the adoption of Act 67/1919 Coll. on the organization of civic education folk courses, the activity and mission of the educational worker took on a different dimension. Section 1 of this Act imposed on the Czechoslovak Republic the obligation to organize free civic education courses, through which citizens were provided with expert explanations about the composition of the state, the rights and duties of citizens. In this sense, educational workers began to orient their activities towards educational bodies and commissions, amateur ensembles and societies, and the content of their educational work became civic education. This period also marks the beginnings of professional and methodological training of educational workers, organized by Matica slovenská, the Educational Union for Slovakia, Živena, workers' and physical education organizations, and others. The position and role of the educational worker was highlighted after 1945 by Decree No. 130 and subsequently by the resolution on building a system of educational facilities and the training of professional and voluntary educational workers (1952). Gradually, the issues of qualification of educational workers began to be addressed ever more intensively. Their qualifications were enhanced primarily by the Educational School (from 1953), the Library School in Bratislava, the Retraining Center of the Educational Institute (from 1972), university studies in education and adult education (from 1960), studies in adult education (from 1967) and studies in andragogy (from 1992) at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava and at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Prešov. Training was also organized for workers in out-of-school education (currently in the field of cultural and educational andragogy) and corporate education (the field of professional andragogy) (Hotár, Paška, Perhács, 2000, Krystoň, 2010b, Pasiar, 1975, Šerák, 2009). From the above, it follows that the formation of the cultural and educational worker into a distinct profession has, according to Chomová (2010), historically specific features compared to other traditional professions. Šerák (2011) also points to the contradictory perception of the profession of cultural and educational worker, which is mainly related to the ideological link of educational activity to the former regime. The concept of education (osveta) is still characterized by certain prejudices caused by terminological, systemic and content-related factors of understanding education in the past. According to the mentioned author, overcoming these prejudices is precisely a difficult task, but currently positive changes are gradually occurring, which can be observed in the fact that the concept of education has gradually begun to return to the vocabulary of both professional and lay publics, and the role of the cultural and educational worker is becoming an integral part of the cultural and educational sphere.

In the last decade, questions concerning the social and moral recognition of the cultural and educational worker, as well as questions related to their professionalization, have resonated ever more intensely. Compared to the past (17th-19th centuries), we have noted a significant expansion of attributes enabling the transformation of an occupation into a profession. For understanding an occupation as a profession, there currently exists a whole range of attributes – a defined need for the activity performed by members of the profession, public recognition of the profession, the existence of a systematic body of knowledge, abilities and skills required for the performance of the profession, university education for the given profession, a developed system of professional authorizations, social exclusivity in the performance of the profession, the existence of professional associations controlling the entry of new members into the profession, a code of ethics (on the basis of which internal (self-)control in the performance of the profession is carried out), individual responsibility for complex intellectual processes, and social support for the profession with professional autonomy, which is ensured by the adoption of laws on the activity or profession (Beneš, 2014, Despotovič, 2012). According to Chomová (2010), the occupation of cultural and educational worker is moving towards a full-fledged profession because it is characterized by such attributes that predestine it for high-quality performance of its work. In agreement with Čornaničová, Denciová (1999) and Chomová (2010, 2015), who assert that the cultural and educational worker meets the characteristics of a modern profession, we perceive it as one of the specializations of the profession "andragogue".

Currently, in connection with the gradual development of the profession of cultural and educational worker, we encounter certain specific tendencies that influence the structure and quality of staffing for cultural and educational activities:

The cultural and educational worker has gradually become a traditionally female-dominated profession (Chomová, 2010). We can speak of a so-called feminized profession, as the representation of women is higher than two-thirds of the total number of employees. Annual statistics of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic in yearly reports on cultural and educational activities only confirm this fact. This phenomenon cannot be defined only statistically, but in this context one can also perceive a certain cultural aspect, based on which the predominance of women in a given profession changes both the manner of performing the work and the set of qualities emphasized in this profession. The feminization of the cultural and educational worker is considered a natural phenomenon caused primarily by lower interest in this profession, low social prestige, and low salary conditions, which for men – family breadwinners – are insufficient to ensure basic living conditions for the family. Currently, it can be stated that feminization represents a serious obstacle to achieving gender equality, which is an integral component of the concept of gender mainstreaming, which is part of the current political strategy of the European Union. We believe that this characteristic problem of the mentioned profession can only be corrected in conjunction with measures of an economic and social nature.

In collectives of cultural and educational workers, we also encounter an increasing average age of these employees (Chomová, 2010). We believe that this phenomenon is, on the one hand, a concomitant sign of the overall aging of the population in Slovakia and a declining population curve, and on the other hand, it is caused by unfavorable wage conditions. Another cause is the fact that the young generation considers this employment temporary, which is also reflected in their work motivation and their search for better paid job opportunities, resulting in their departure from employment. The high fluctuation of these workers is caused not only by low financial attractiveness, but also by a lack of interest from young and qualified graduates and a general lack of opportunities for further development and further education. This trend can be observed even among long-term cultural employees, who, although provided with professional growth and strengthening of their professional competences by the cultural and educational institution, nevertheless decided to leave for the aforementioned financial reasons. In this job position, mostly older workers remain, who either have limited employment opportunities or a positive relationship to this profession.

With this decline and often shortage of professional workers, the number of voluntary employees, or part-time employees, increases. A proportionate part of volunteers are often experts from practice (leaders of interest groups, activists or teachers for whom this activity serves as a supplement to their income), but who lack professional education, which is reflected in the quality of performing the relevant work tasks. Interest from volunteers can also be noted among students at the Department of Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava within the course Volunteering in Culture, where they have the opportunity to work in various cultural and educational facilities and institutions. Students participate in the creation of various informational, complaint and promotional brochures, but they also come into direct interaction with participants or directly participate in significant cultural events.

The qualification structure in the profession of cultural and educational worker is not compatible with the needs of the development of cultural and educational activities, which are often not ensured by qualified workers, since, as we have already mentioned, young and professionally educated graduates leave this job position or show no interest in it at all. The reason is again low salary. This low salary also significantly threatens the maintenance of quality and qualification structure of cultural and educational workers, with some of them having additional employment to earn an adequate standard of living.

One of the contradictory areas is also the differing perception of the cultural and educational worker. The profession of cultural and educational worker is viewed from various angles. Chomová (2015), in relation to the cultural and educational worker, speaks of specializations such as teaching, educating, counseling, management and methodology. Prusáková (2005) views this profession through individual categories of specialized functions (mentor, tutor, lecturer, instructor, trainer, educational advisor and consultant, methodological worker in adult education, manager and organizer of adult education). The issue of work specializations of the cultural and educational worker is precisely one of the problematic and most debated areas among experts in cultural and educational andragogy. For orientation, we provide the following overview of work specializations performed by cultural and educational workers: lecturer, animator, manager, methodologist, volunteer.

According to Čornaničová (2004), we can also include in the context of cultural and educational andragogy the andragogue in the role of cultural officer, tourist guide, library worker, etc.

Our perception of the cultural and educational worker is closest to the understanding of Čornaničová (2004), who understands the cultural and educational worker as a job classification in which the predominant content is managing, animation, organization, direction, methodological, professional, as well as informational and various other provisions of cultural and educational activities. According to Čornaničová (2011), it is precisely cultural and educational activity that is the core of the subject field of cultural and educational andragogy. Cultural and educational andragogy examines cultural and educational activity from three aspects – from the aspect of cultivating the human personality as a universal human being, from the aspect of mediating social cultural values through specific professional institutionalized cultural and educational activity, and from the aspect of active human participation in social processes (Prusáková, 2011). As we can see, already in defining the basic framework of cultural and educational andragogy, the importance and need for experts who ensure the education and training of adults, helping the adult person in enculturation and cultivation of their personality through cultural, educational, interest and civic activities is emphasized. Čornaničová (2006) also places great emphasis on the staffing of cultural and educational activities. We identify with the author's opinion that it is necessary to respect both levels of cultural and educational activity, both participatory and organizational. Čornaničová (2006) states the subject of cultural and educational andragogy as cultural and educational activity encompassing, on the one hand, the interest participation of the population in social cultural values, and on the other hand, the professional scope of the cultural and educational worker, on whom the quality of mediating cultural values depends.

1.1 Activities of the Cultural and Educational Worker

From the aforementioned overview of work specializations, it follows that cultural and educational workers perform a diverse range of activities, as cultural and educational activity itself is fueled by a varied and rich offer of the most diverse activities. According to Šerák (2011), their priority tasks include mainly the implementation of organizational and managerial activities, selection of appropriate didactic forms, methods, tools, advisory and consulting activities, provision of information, planning, the actual implementation of leisure-time activities and, last but not least, lecturing activities. In the following text, based on Čornaničová, Denciová (1999), Denciová (2006), Šerák (2011) and the individual categories of specialized functions of the cultural and educational worker, we provide a comprehensive overview of their activities:

• Managerial activity is primarily aimed at directing, managing and ensuring the smooth operation of a cultural and educational facility or institution (focusing on work organization, leadership of colleagues, control, etc.) or managing the course of cultural life in a broader or narrower region, place of residence, etc.
• Conceptual and strategic activity, which mainly includes identifying educational needs, compiling educational or marketing plans, setting up a quality and efficiency management system, etc.
• Informational activity, the aim of which is to obtain, monitor, update and provide information of various kinds, as well as to monitor the latest trends, manage the agenda of lecturers, etc.
• Coordination activity, which mainly concerns the harmonization of individual needs and individual types of activities in accordance with set goals.
• Methodological activity. The cultural and educational worker is tasked with compiling a methodology for project creation, evaluating and compiling study materials, etc. Methodological activity also includes the selection of suitable lecturers and other employees who are able to fulfill the set goals of given activities and projects.
• Cooperation. An inseparable part of the work of a worker in cultural and educational education is precisely cooperation with colleagues sharing in common tasks, as well as establishing contacts and cooperation with various domestic and foreign cultural and educational facilities and institutions. These workers cooperate primarily with individuals representing local and regional bodies (representatives of higher territorial units, local councils, local governments, etc.) who regulate cultural and social events in the locality or region.
• Organizational activity. This primarily concerns the organization of individual components of cultural and educational activities (from one-off to cyclical or regular activities for the adult population) in terms of content and organization.
• Financial planning and budgeting. This area of work mainly involves the financial securing of the operation of a cultural and educational facility, as well as planning and accounting for expenses associated with the implementation of activities related to educational work or individual cultural and educational events. We also include here activities associated with seeking sponsors co-participating in the material provision of cultural and social events at the regional or local level, as well as the creation of a financial plan and budget for the relevant calendar year.
• Promotional and advertising activity. The cultural and educational worker often ensures the promotion of planned cultural and educational activities in mass media, which is preceded by the preparation, production and distribution of promotional and advertising materials.
• Technical support activity, which mainly includes securing necessary didactic equipment, video, audio documentation or transportation. Among the activities of the cultural and educational worker, there is also the creation and provision of graphic designs for invitations or various materials of a promotional nature.
• Lecturing activity in the form of implementing a given educational activity, where the cultural and educational worker provides information, helps in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and also ensures direct feedback. The cultural and educational worker methodologically participates in the preparation of an educational project, selects and appropriately applies chosen methods, forms and aids.
• Animation activity. Within animation activity, the cultural and educational worker motivates and mobilizes participants to take part in individual activities and certain events.
• Advisory activity for colleagues, other employees and the public, the essence of which lies in providing expert advice and consultations concerning possibilities, forms, methods for acquiring theoretical knowledge, gaining practical skills, developing creativity, etc., in a selected area of cultural and educational activity.
• Activities in the area of legislation. It is necessary for the cultural and educational worker to have perfect knowledge of legislation – legal regulations, norms, directives, decrees and laws concerning cultural and educational activities – and at the same time to accept them when creating and implementing all types and forms of work with cultural and educational content and focus.
• Control activity is justified mainly in the area of fulfilling and adhering to the financial budget of the work of given institutions. The task of the cultural and educational worker is to check whether and to what extent given events were successful from the aspect of their structural and content focus. It focuses on evaluating the attendance of given events, financial profit, as well as feedback from the media and the public. This feedback is desirable for further, more effective planning and implementation of activities and events.
• Administrative activity, which consists of maintaining documentation, compiling various contracts, creating and editing necessary materials and compiling documentation including planning and evaluation of activities. More demanding and regular administrative activity also includes providing various statistical data needed for the purposes of annual reports of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.
• Publishing activity. Within their activities, the cultural and educational worker may write various publications concerning the history, life and works of personalities from the narrower and wider locality, as well as publications focused on the cultural and social development of a given region. They may also publish various studies, contributions and reports through which they inform both the professional and general public about various cultural and educational activities and activities of cultural and educational facilities. Publishing activity also includes monographs promoting cultural and historical monuments, museums, galleries, local curiosities, natural beauties, artifacts of folk culture, the aim of which is to support the development of cultural tourism and agritourism.
• Collecting activity includes searching for, rescuing and collecting various local cultural artifacts and craft products that serve as a source for establishing local museums, heritage rooms, etc., and which, through their historical, artistic and cultural-social value, help create a more comprehensive picture of a given region.

The implementation of these diverse activities in the sphere of cultural and educational work is characterized by certain specifics, which include primarily high demands on performance, creativity and innovation at work, the diversity of activities often performed concurrently, psychological demands arising from the need for constant concentration of attention and alertness, time demands due to activities and events carried out outside of working hours, professional demands caused by the interdisciplinary nature of the entire sphere, organizational demands arising from the need for mixed cooperation with qualified and paid professionals on the one hand, and on the other hand with enthusiasts who work either as volunteers or semi-professionals (Chomová, 2010).

Among the positive specifics of the work of these workers, we can include their creative work environment full of social interactions, a multitude of new contacts, a rich spectrum of experiences of various kinds, interesting experiences and positive feedback from satisfied participants as reactions to a successful event.

This wide range of activities performed by the cultural and educational worker is differentiated according to the place of operation and the focus of the workplace. Denciová (2006) states that at the level of local culture, the type and content of performed activities is the most varied, but in specialized workplaces, higher expertise of employees is required.

The mentioned activities of the cultural and educational worker are carried out within a broad institutional base of education – local, municipal, regional cultural centers or nationwide methodological (National Educational Centre), specialized (public libraries, theaters, galleries, Matica slovenská, Slovak National Museum, Slovak National Gallery, etc.), as well as cultural and educational facilities, also interest associations, clubs, societies, organizations, etc. (Lenhardtová, 2015).

1.2 Requirements for the Personality of the Cultural and Educational Worker and Their Personal Prerequisites

Our intention is not to describe in detail the structure of personality and its individual components, but to outline the requirements placed on the personality of the cultural and educational worker, focusing primarily on their personal qualities.

In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in requirements for the performance of the profession of cultural and educational worker and for their personality. Chomová (2010) speaks in this context about the need for further professional education of this worker. According to the author, staffing in the implementation of cultural and educational activities requires a wide range of experts of various specializations who will have university andragogical education supplemented by experience. The effectiveness of the work of the cultural and educational worker should thus be directly proportional to their preparedness and competence in professional and didactic terms. This worker cannot do without a certain specialization, but at the same time they themselves will have to master various technical, artistic, administrative or other activities.

A worker in the cultural and educational education of adults should meet certain qualification prerequisites and requirements for the performance of this profession. In relation to this profession, the definition of basic requirements placed on the personality of the andragogue presented by Porubská (2005) is inspiring, contained in the following four categories:

1. General education encompassing general awareness of cultural, sports, social or other events in our country and in the world, and representing one of the basic requirements placed on every worker, including the cultural and educational worker from this group. General education also includes knowledge of at least one foreign language. Denciová (2006) states that one of the major problems affecting the quality of work of the cultural and educational worker is precisely the lack of foreign language skills, which appears to be a serious shortcoming in the context of European integration and global globalization. The mentioned author recommends as a partial solution the implementation of exchange foreign internships, through which the employee can not only strengthen their language competence but also bring new knowledge and inspiration that can move their work to a higher level. The current "electronic age" has significantly contributed to the "computerization" and "electronification" of cultural and educational facilities and institutions, which is also reflected in the need for complete computer literacy of cultural and educational workers.
2. Professional education, which represents a certain specialized education in which the cultural and educational worker can develop their activity. Professional education is understood as an integrated system of theoretical knowledge that is verified by practice and usable by the cultural and educational worker for the benefit of their personal development.
3. Andragogical education, which relates to the acquisition of professional competence to educate adults and through which the individual acquires a complex of knowledge, skills and abilities that enable them to effectively achieve set goals. The cultural and educational worker with andragogical education knows the issues of adult education, further education, is familiar with educational strategies, can set adequate goals, create educational content, select and use appropriate forms, methods, teaching tools, can analyze and evaluate the result of education and their professional activity. Šerák (2011), based on practice and referring to changes in leisure activities caused by dynamic development, points to the need for a comprehensive education system for cultural and educational workers. This requirement is also intensified by the fact that the focus of organizations of informal non-professional adult education is characterized by a diverse range of activities that require professional education or at least some specialized training. One can also point to the clearly insufficient supply of opportunities for training qualified workers, which to some extent is also related to the fact that the diversity of requirements placed on cultural and educational workers requires comprehensive training, which is not available in the Slovak education system. For departments of andragogy, a broad target focus is typical, but specialization for the field of interest education is absent; on the other hand, departments of recreology have too specific an orientation (mainly on physical activities), and the same applies to departments of social work. Leisure-time pedagogy is not a separate field of study and has not built up a sufficient position, as the target groups of children and youth lie within its area of interest. According to Šerák (2011), the situation could be resolved by a new study specialization (e.g., Andragogy of Leisure Time, etc.), which is still only informally discussed. The mentioned author points to a possible solution to the problem in the form of several elective subjects or lectures included in the given study programs, or greater and better cooperation between related fields.
4. Personality traits and prerequisites, which have a decisive influence in the interactive environment with adult participants of cultural and educational education. The most basic personality trait is precisely a positive relationship to oneself, to working with participants of cultural and educational education, and a relationship to people as such.

In the context of our understanding of the profession of cultural and educational worker and based on the specifics of their work, we consider the following personal prerequisites and qualities of that worker to be generally desirable:

• Emotional stability and high frustration tolerance. The cultural and educational worker often performs a multitude of different activities at once (work on a project, finding a sponsor, cooperation with event experts, moderating, maintaining documentation, communicating with the public, etc.), which, due to time and especially psychological demands, requires their high concentration and at the same time resistance to such a workload.
• Creativity, flexibility, conceptual thinking. The work of the cultural and educational worker is characterized by high demands on creativity, as they co-participate in planning and implementing projects of various natures and create a creative work environment, the essence of which is primarily teamwork in creating further activities. In their work, they also often encounter various problems related to work tasks or social interactions and relationships, to which they must respond flexibly. It is necessary for the cultural and educational worker to possess a certain level of logical, abstract, deductive and inductive thinking, the ability to flexibly apply professional knowledge, propose and implement creative and innovative solutions, and consider opportunities and risks when creating and managing projects.
• Moral qualities (honesty, sincerity, courtesy, consideration, etc.), for which they are recognized and accepted by other colleagues and participants of cultural and educational education, and thanks to which they often achieve set goals more easily.
• Volitional qualities (diligence, thoroughness, conscientiousness, decisiveness, alertness, perseverance, tenacity in achieving goals, etc.).
• Intrinsic motivation. We believe that one of the decisive indicators of work quality is precisely intrinsic motivation, which we understand as a certain energy that the cultural and educational worker brings into the performance of their work and into fulfilling work tasks. Schwarz (2012) states that the prerequisite for any good work performance is determined not only by competences and conditions, but also by motivation.

In the mentioned complex of requirements, on the one hand stands the expertise of the worker, which authorizes them to perform their profession, and on the other hand the personal prerequisites and qualities that this worker should possess. The fact pointed out by practice itself is that through study, the worker often obtains authorization to perform the relevant profession, but is practically neither capable nor personally prepared to work with participants of cultural and educational education.

1.3 Professional Competences of the Cultural and Educational Worker

The performance of every profession is conditioned by certain abilities and professional competencies that can be covered by the term professional competence. It is indisputable that the andragogical worker acquires professional authorizations based on pre-graduate and post-graduate training or further education, while they represent one of the determinants that influence the functioning of the entire educational system or process, as well as the quality of the outputs themselves (Porubská, Határ, 2009). Professional competences thus authorize the worker to perform certain qualified work activities primarily on a professional basis.

Prusáková (2005) understands professional competences as a set of partial competences consisting of one's own professional competence, social and cognitive competence, and key qualification. Belz and Siegrist (2001) mention key competences, which they understand as such knowledge, abilities and skills that result in competences with the help of which it is possible to hold a large number of positions and functions and which are suitable for coping with problems of a whole range of changing requirements. According to the mentioned authors, key competences consist of various abilities and their mutual influence, and they consider primarily the ability to communicate and cooperate, solve problems, independence and performance, creativity, the ability to develop responsibility, the ability to think and learn, the ability to reason and evaluate as key. Mužík, Palán (2008) presents a three-component model of key competences applicable for every individual and including social competences (ability to work with people, cooperation, communication skills), competences in relation to one's own person (self-reflection, conscious development of one's own values) and competences in the area of methods (ability to plan and purposefully apply professional knowledge, develop creative solutions, ability to think critically, put things into context and recognize connections). According to the mentioned authors, acquiring key competences is a lifelong, individual process serving the development of the individual's personality. From the above, it follows that we acquire key competences throughout life and they are understood as the results of the entire educational process (formal, non-formal, informal). Key competences, which are part of both general and professional education, thus form the foundation for the development of professional competences. Professional competences should be based precisely on key competences, i.e., such competences that are necessary for the qualified performance of an occupation.

Prusáková (2007), in relation to the worker in cultural and educational education, defines three groups of professional competences consisting of professional competences (general knowledge, professional thinking, professional values, special knowledge according to the worker's focus), social competences (empathy, independence, responsibility, cooperation, assertiveness, communication, ability to lead and decide) and cognitive or methodological competences (professional knowledge and its application, systemic thinking, ability to solve problems, creativity, self-knowledge, self-evaluation, self-education). According to Šerák (2011), the primary competences of the cultural and educational worker should be mainly communication competences (manifested in the ability to provide information and counseling, establish contact with clients), didactic and professional competences, which concern specific leisure-time activities. Managerial, financial, organizational and administrative skills are also a necessity. According to Šerák (2011), in relation to the cultural and educational worker, we should focus precisely on social competences, as this type of work is associated with working with people and for people. Prusáková (2004) and Šerák (2011) also place great emphasis on social competences in relation to the cultural and educational worker, which they divide into two areas – social competences in relation to oneself (self-knowledge, self-motivation, self-evaluation, self-management, auto-education, independence, acceptance of responsibility), social competences in relation to others (communication, cooperation, teamwork, ability to solve problems, ability to cope with stressful situations, engagement, activity, empathy, authority, charisma).

The National System of Occupations defines for the occupation "cultural and educational worker" a competence model, which includes general abilities, professional knowledge and professional skills with the following description: a) General abilities: - analyzing and solving problems, communication, cultivated written expression, cultivated verbal expression, ability to express oneself, organizing and planning work, personal development, presenting, decision-making, independence, teamwork, creativity, digital literacy, information literacy, motivating people, flexibility in thinking (adaptability, flexibility, improvisational skills), financial and economic literacy, communication in a foreign language, negotiation.

b) Professional knowledge: - legal regulations and basic concepts in the field of cultural and educational activity, - principles, forms, tools and mechanisms of development of local and regional culture (knowledge of the Concept of Development of Local and Regional Culture and the Strategy of Development of Local and Regional Culture), - foundations, objectives and tools of care for traditional folk culture (knowledge of the Concept of Care for Traditional Folk Culture), - foundations, objectives and tools of development of educational activity (knowledge of the Strategy of Development of Educational Activity), - principles of implementing competitive events and showcases of interest-based artistic activity, - forms, methods and procedures of educational and lecturing activity, - mission, focus and strategy of the cultural and educational facility, - legal regulations and basic concepts in the field of personal data handling.

c) Professional skills: - management and organization of the operation of a cultural and educational facility and cultural activities of the local population, - animation of cultural activities by involvement in joint activities, - lecturing activity in the field of cultural and educational activity, - shaping the concept of development of cultural activities, - ensuring promotion and advertising of cultural and educational events in mass media, - creation of documentation and evaluation of cultural and educational activities, - preparation, processing, implementation and evaluation of projects and grant applications in the field of culture, - methodological and professional advisory activity in ensuring cultural and educational activities, - organizing, mediating and implementing educational activities, - communication and cooperation with representatives of cultural and educational institutions, local personalities and volunteers.

Based on the study of literature, the definition of the target group of cultural and educational workers, their position, the specifics of their work, and their diverse work activities, we propose a competence model of the cultural and educational worker based on the analysis and our interpretation of the individual components of professional competence.

Our proposed competence model consists of individual competences which we have described through the behavior of the cultural and educational worker:

1. Professional Competence

integrates within itself a set of professional knowledge, abilities and practical skills that are closely related to the character of the workplace. In our understanding, it is also reflected in methodological competence as the readiness and ability to proceed and act purposefully and systematically when processing tasks and solving problems. a) managerial – CEW is able to plan, manage and ensure the activities and operations of a cultural and educational facility while respecting valid organizational and management standards. CEW is capable of dividing and organizing tasks for subordinate co-workers. CEW can coordinate not only the operation of the cultural and educational facility, but also their own work activities, as well as the activities and relationships of colleagues and, last but not least, cooperation with other departments. b) andragogical – CEW is oriented in the issues of adult education and training, in the issues of further education and their specifics, in the specific area in which they develop their activity. They know the basics of androdidactics, are able to analyze the needs, requirements and expectations of adult participants of cultural and educational education, based on which they can set goals, create content, select and use adequate forms, methods and tools. They can compile a methodology for project creation, study materials. They are able to obtain feedback, analyze and evaluate the results of education, the strengths and weaknesses of given projects, events, activities, etc. c) psychological – CEW knows all the particularities and specifics of adult learning and disadvantaged groups of individuals, based on which they take into account, guide and adapt work and individual activities. For this reason, it is necessary that they possess basic theoretical knowledge from the field of psychology (ontogenetic, social, educational). CEW is also able to create a favorable and stimulating climate, motivate and activate participants to take part in further activities. d) evaluative – CEW is able to check, objectively and fairly evaluate the fulfillment of set goals and tasks, educational results, attendance of given events, feedback from participants, media, and the general public, and utilize this information in further planning and implementation of diverse events and activities. e) advisory – CEW can provide expert advice and recommendations to co-workers as well as participants of cultural and educational education in differentiating and solving their problems. They provide consultations concerning various areas of cultural and educational activity. f) foreign language – CEW masters at least one foreign language at a communicative level, because they often come into contact with cultural and educational participants who have citizenship other than Slovak. In their work, within some projects, they are forced to establish contacts, cooperate with foreign cultural and educational institutions or obtain and communicate with foreign sponsors. Knowledge of a foreign language can be helpful, for example, in studying foreign-language literature, or during international business trips where understanding and communication in a foreign language is a necessity. g) technological – CEW can use and work with information and communication technologies necessary for their administrative activity (creation of materials, contracts, reports and other documentation, processing of statistical data, creation of promotional materials, invitations, etc.). They have user-level knowledge of Microsoft Office and the Internet. They are able to search for necessary information on the internet and communicate via email. h) legislative – CEW knows and respects the legislation concerning cultural and educational activity (Act on Cultural and Educational Activity), other strategic materials of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, internal documents of the given cultural and educational facility, legal regulations concerning the protection of personal data, and many others. i) intercultural – CEW is able to communicate with individuals and groups of a different culture. They accept members of other cultures as full-fledged members of society, understand and take into account their different cultural environment and values, and can cooperate with them and adapt communication and work to these differences. We include intercultural competence in professional competence, but it can also be perceived as an intersection between professional, social and personal competence.

2. Social Competence

as the effectiveness of social behavior, is reflected in the quality of social interactions and the achievement of set goals. It is precisely for this reason that we perceive it as the alpha and omega of the professional competence of the cultural and educational worker. a) interpersonal perception – CEW is able to adequately perceive and assess the individuals with whom they work and with whom they come into daily contact in their work, which enables them to understand their behavior in given situations, as well as their experiences and reasons for relevant reactions. Forming as accurate a picture as possible of another person is, in our opinion, important for the profession of CEW because their work requires daily contact with people as well as managing others. b) communicative – As CEW enters daily into interactions (with colleagues, external employees, domestic and foreign cultural and educational facilities and institutions, participants, etc.), they should possess theoretical knowledge of interpersonal communication (verbal, non-verbal, paralinguistic) and be able to apply it in practice. CEW is able to understand information provided in professional language, express themselves orally in various professional environments, develop and apply communication operations within the given institution in which they operate. They are able to receive and send information (in oral and written form) and adapt the language style to the individuals with whom they communicate. They know how to develop communication through active listening. They can empathize with other people, in various situations, but at the same time they know how to politely and adequately assert their own opinion, interest or position. c) cooperation – CEW is able to share information and ideas when working on common goals, cooperate in fulfilling work tasks, establishing and expanding contacts with various entities providing cultural and educational activities, with voluntary cultural and educational activists, and with various groups of participants. They are also able to lead participants and colleagues themselves towards mutual cooperation. d) conflict resolution – CEW is able to identify a conflict that has arisen, recognize its essence and apply effective procedures and individual strategies for resolving conflicts according to the given social situation in which they find themselves. They are able to view the problem from the perspective of another person and approach the conclusion of a compromise or mutual agreement.

3. Personal Competence

represents the individual's ability to know and develop their own person, the ability to reflect on their own development. It is conditioned by the uniqueness and individuality of experience reflected in the behavior and activity of the given individual. In our opinion, we can include here qualities such as self-confidence, independence, a sense of responsibility and duty, etc. a) self-reflective competence – CEW is able to realistically perceive, know and assess themselves, their abilities and possibilities, control their own behavior and direct themselves towards the goals they have set. Hupková, Petlák (2004) state that self-reflective competence is precisely the integrating competence in the development of all other competences, abilities and skills. They perceive it as a worker's reflection on their own work, an internal dialogue that the individual conducts with themselves with the aim of systematically evaluating their work and drawing conclusions for its further optimization. In our opinion, adequate self-reflection leads to the need for self-improvement, which subsequently reflects on work performance and other areas of life. b) learning and self-education – CEW knows the importance of lifelong learning for the performance of their work. They are aware of the significant trend in the profession of CEW, which relates to the increasing need for further professional education and the increase in requirements for work performance, and therefore they continuously actively educate themselves, expand their knowledge from their field, from related fields and other areas. At the same time, they are able to apply this acquired knowledge in practice. c) coping with stressful situations – CEW is able to control their emotions in various tense situations, can cope with stress and other stressful situations through knowledge and application of various methods, strategies and relaxation techniques that are helpful in managing work-related stress, which is a consequence of the multitude of work and specialized activities of CEW, high demands on their work performance as well as their interaction with many people. In the literature, we increasingly encounter the comprehensive term andragogical competence, which is understood as a set of professional abilities, or skills and prerequisites that are capable of development and enable the effective performance of a specific work function or set of functions. Janoušková (2006) includes two components in andragogical competence. The first component is professional (cognitive) competence representing extensive knowledge from scientific disciplines that form the transdisciplinary background of andragogy. Another component is the abilities that need to be acquired in the professional training of the worker and subsequently improved. Last but not least, this includes general key skills, such as the ability to use information technologies, language skills, understanding of contemporary society (globalization, ecological, social and other issues). Another no less important component is personal and social competences, which concern interpersonal relationships, behavior in the workplace and a wide range of skills corresponding to the position (ability to cooperate, work as part of a team, mutual respect, creativity, etc.). An important subgroup within social competence is communication competences, which are a necessary prerequisite for cooperation, exchange of experience and opinions with other experts. Personal competence covers competences towards one's own person and is focused on the individual, who should know themselves, their own possibilities and limitations, should be able to solve problems, overcome possible difficulties and obstacles. An inseparable part of personal competence is also professional ethics and a certain value orientation.

From the above, it follows that the professional competence of the cultural and educational worker represents their ability to perform certain work activities belonging to a given position in the cultural and educational field and to achieve the required performance. It is formed on the basis of the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, social competences and attitudes, as well as other qualities of personality. The balance of all levels of competence – professional-qualification, personal-social and key competences – is extremely important for the profession of the cultural and educational worker.

Conclusion

It can be stated that in the profession of the cultural and educational worker, multiple competences are applied that influence their expertise and professionalism. However, when it comes to the precise delimitation and definition of individual groups of competences, it is problematic to specify them unambiguously. The reason for this problem is the fact that the cultural and educational worker may perform a multitude of the mentioned work functions and specialized activities, which often require different procedures and place specific demands on the work specializations of the cultural and educational worker.

We agree with Denciová (2006), who states that it is precisely the cultural and educational workers who largely determine what the following generations will be like, what axiological hierarchy they will have, what attitude they will have towards our culture, traditions, folk customs and society as a whole, therefore they should possess such competences that are decisive for effective work with a wide spectrum of participants of cultural and educational education.

Author: Mgr. Lucia Rapsová, PhD. Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

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