The Core Competencies are the result of 30 years of work by the Council on Linkages and other public health practice and academic organizations, beginning with development of the Universal Competencies by the Public Health Faculty/Agency Forum in 1991. The original version of the Core Competencies was released in 2001, and the Council on Linkages adopted revisions to the Core Competencies in May 2010, June 2014, and October 2021. Guided by the Council on Linkages’ Core Competencies Workgroup, the Core Competencies are regularly reviewed and revised to ensure these competencies continue to reflect the skills needed for protecting the nation’s health. 

 

 

The Core Competencies are organized into eight domains, representing skill areas within public health, and three tiers, which describe different types of responsibilities within public health organizations. These competencies support public health workforce development and can serve as a starting point for public health practice and academic organizations as they create workforce development plans, identify training and workforce needs, prepare for accreditation, and more.

A variety of tools are available to support public health professionals and organizations in using the Core Competencies. Tools and other resources are accessible through the Core Competencies Tools webpage.

 

For more information about the Core Competencies, please contact Kathleen Amos at [email protected]​.