The article discusses the new demands imposed on a set of initiatives linked to the formation of both the worker and the citizen, as a result of the transformations that have been occurring in the present world. Therefore, one observes a shift of conceptions: - from knowledge to competence, in the sphere of education; - from qualification to competence, in the sphere of work. The approach of such categories of analysis is based on recent studies and research on formation, construction of competence and possible articulations of these phenomena with the enhancement of citizenship