What are today's main concepts and theories - and the main stakes - associated with the issue of competences in organizations? Several topics are discussed, including competence issues regarding the evolution of work, professionalization, competence evaluation, competence management, and the competences of adult educators and trainers, as well as European policies regarding competence needs and development. The book aims to point the attention of professionals in adult education, vocational training, and human resources towards the importance of taking into account the competence development of adults in the world of work, through theoretical and practical approaches. The evolution of the world of work is described to help readers understand why people at work are approached through their competences. The main concepts and models that can be useful to develop reflexions and research on the topic of competences as well as connections between competence and professionalization processes are explained. The book also addresses professional didactics, which is presented as a heuristic approach using activity analysis to translate observations made at the workplace into general concepts connected with competences. The main tools and methods of assessment are introduced and competence management and its links to career development are explored. One idea regarding the relationship between competence and adult education is that the growing importance of competences in adult education calls for an evolution of the adult training profession. (DIPF/Orig.)