COMPETENCY BASED SKILLS TRAINING

Competency-based training is one of those over-used (buzz) phrases in the training world. Everyone wants it (or does it), but few people understand what it really means.
For starters, it's important to define the word "competency." 

A competency is a set of knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes and characteristics that distinguish one person from another. Functional competencies relate to technical knowledge or skills required by a particular field or profession (e.g., accounting principles).

Personal competencies are individual attitudes and skills required to handle professional relationships and facilitate learning and personal development (e.g., communication). Business competencies relate to the ability to view issues or situations from a business perspective (e.g., strategic or critical thinking).

For any job, it is possible to identify the functional, personal, and business competencies required for superior performance. Once identified, these competencies can be used for selection or development of employees. Just as performance-based interviews can help to identify qualified job candidates, competency-based training can ensure that employee development is directly tied to job performance.

Developing competency-based training requires performing a job skills analysis. You must look at every job description in the organization and ask:

• What knowledge and skills are required to perform this job?
• What level of competence is required to perform this job?

Once competencies are defined, training can be organized to support performance at different levels - from entry-level to upper management. And, the level of competence required for performance can be established

What is a unit of competency?

The competency standards in a Training Package describe work outcomes. Each unit of competency describes a specific work activity, conditions under which it is conducted and the evidence that may be gathered in order to determine whether the activity is being performed in a competent manner. 

By examining different aspects of the unit of competency, you will be able to gain answers to the following questions:

• What is the work activity?
• What does the work activity involve?
• What skills are needed to perform the work activity?
• What level of skill is needed?
• What are the conditions under which this work activity may be conducted?
• What evidence is needed to prove that a person is competent?
• What knowledge and skills are needed to perform this work activity?
• What generic work skills are needed?
• Where should evidence be gathered?
• What resources are required to gather the evidence?

National standards define the competencies required for effective performance in the workplace. A competency comprises the specification of knowledge and skill and the application of that knowledge and skill at an industry level, to the standard of performance required in employment. Units of competency can be either industry or enterprise based. 

Units of competency can be downloaded from the National Training Information Service database.