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Technical Assistance Guide for
Developing and Using Competency Models – One Solution for a Demand-Driven
Workforce System
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Table of Contents
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Foreword..
3
Chapter
1. Competency Models. 4
What
is a competency?. 4
What
is a competency model?. 4
Who
benefits from competency models?. 5
Competency
Models Enable Business and Industry to: 5
Competency
Models Enable Workforce Investment Boards to: 5
Competency
Models Enable One-Stop Career Centers to: 5
Competency
Models Enable Economic Developers to: 6
Competency
Models Enable Educators and Training Providers to: 6
Competency
Models Enable Professional Organizations to: 6
Competency
Models Enable Students and Their Parents to: 6
How
are competency models being used?. 11
Note:
The initiatives described below have been selected to provide examples of how
competency models have been used effectively in the public workforce system. The inclusion of these examples is not intended to imply endorsement of the models or
their developers.
11
Outreach/Generation
of Career Interest—Communicating Industry Demands.
11
Career
Guidance. 11
Labor
Pool Analysis/Strategic Planning for Workforce Programs.
11
Certification/
Curriculum Development 11
Curriculum
Development 11
Training/
Certification/ Apprenticeship. 12
Career
Development/ Apprenticeship/ Certification. 12
Career
Lattice/ Apprenticeship/ Training. 12
Training/
Career Ladder. 12
Certification. 13
Recruitment
& Hiring/ Training & Development 13
Career
Development/ Certification/ Licensure. 13
Performance
Management/Compensation. 13
Chapter
2. "Building Blocks" for Competency Models. 14
Tier
1: Personal Effectiveness Competencies. 16
Tier
2: Academic Competencies. 16
Tier
3: Workplace Competencies. 16
Tier
4: Industry-Wide Technical Competencies. 17
Tier
5: Industry-Specific Technical Competencies. 17
Tier
6: Occupation-Specific Knowledge Areas. 17
Tier
7: Occupation-Specific Technical Competencies. 18
Tier
8: Occupation-Specific Requirements. 18
Tier
9: Management Competencies. 19
Chapter
3. Developing Competency Models from Existing Resources.
21
Step
1. Gather background information. 21
Step
2. Develop draft competency model framework. 22
Step
3. Gather feedback from industry representatives. 22
Step
4. Refine the competency model framework. 23
Step
5. Validate the competency model framework. 23
Step
6. Finalize the model framework. 23
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Foreword |
This guide is a resource for the stakeholders and partners of
the public workforce investment system supported by the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). As ETA looks to the future, industry and occupational competency models have been
identified as a key resource in providing a framework for business and industry
to clearly articulate their workforce needs. In addition, competency models
form the basis on which curriculum developers and training providers ensure
that workers have the right skills. ETA is serving as a broker of information
in the area of competency models and skill development by promoting the use of,
supporting development of, and disseminating competency information. This guide
is an integral part of that effort.
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This guide was developed
by Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, Inc. (PDRI) and Aguirre
International.
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A competency is the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully
perform "critical work functions" or tasks in a defined work setting.
Competencies often serve as the basis for skill standards that
specify the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for
success in the workplace as well as potential measurement criteria for
assessing competency attainment.
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A competency model is a collection of
competencies that together define successful performance in a particular work
setting. Competency models are the foundation for important human resource
functions such as recruitment and hiring, training and development, and
performance management because they specify what is essential to select for or
to train and develop. Competency models can be developed for specific jobs, job
groups, organizations, occupations or industries.
Elements of a competency
model
- Competency names and detailed definitions. For
example, a competency model could include a competency called "Teamwork"
defined as follows:
- Establishing constructive and solid interpersonal relationships;
- Treating others with courtesy, tact and respect;
- Working effectively with others, regardless of organizational level,
background, gender, race or ethnicity;
- Working to resolve disagreements, attempting to persuade others and reach agreements;
- Biding by and supporting group decisions; and
- Facilitating team interaction and maintaining focus on group goals.
- Descriptions of activities or behavior associated
with each competency. For example, the following behaviors could be associated
with the competency "Teamwork":
- Handling differences in work styles effectively when working with coworkers
- Capitalizing on strengths of others on a team to get work done
- Anticipating potential conflicts and addressing them directly and effectively
- Motivating others to contribute opinions and suggestions
- Demonstrating a personal commitment to group goals
- A diagram of the model. Typically, the model (or a summary of the model) is presented as a visually
appealing graphic. Presentation of the model in graphical form helps users to quickly grasp the key features of the
model.
Some competency models include information about the skills
and abilities required for different levels of mastery, or information about
the level of competence required at different occupational levels.
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Competency models benefit all partners and stakeholders within
the workforce investment system including Workforce Investment Boards, One-Stop
Career Centers, business and industry, economic developers, educators and
training providers, professional organizations, and students and their parents.
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- Clearly articulate their workforce needs
- Define
requirements for employee success on a job and at different levels of career
progression
- Increase the likelihood that qualified
candidates will be hired
- Place
individuals into appropriate assignments once they are hired
- Provide a
shared understanding of what will be measured in performance appraisals
- Facilitate
performance appraisal discussions
- Focus on the
knowledge, skills and abilities that have the most impact on effectiveness and
productivity
- Ensure training
and development efforts and investments are in line with organizational values
and vision
- Guide employee
development efforts
- Focus training
and development efforts on areas where there are significant deficiencies
- Provide a
framework for ongoing coaching and mentoring
- Identify gaps
in current training offerings
- Assess preparations for handling pending
retirements through succession planning
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- Identify specific skill gaps that can be
resolved through training
- Identify gaps in current training offerings
- Select appropriate training offerings,
curricula, and certifications using competency models as criteria
- Assess the knowledge, skills,
abilities, interests and talents of the local workforce in relation to the
competency requirements of available jobs to identify excellent matches
- Identify available workers with the
employers’ required skill sets
- Manage changing industry trends within
regions by determining the degree of overlap between the required skill sets of
incoming and outgoing employers and subsequently the need for additional
training
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- Design programs and provide services to meet the needs of their area employers
- Compare the skill base of workers and job
seekers to required competencies to identify gaps
- Provide credible guidance and counseling to
workers about the kinds of jobs or training they should consider
- Serve the needs of workers transitioning from
declining industries by identifying transferable skills and skill gaps
- Counsel workers
about skill gaps and how to remedy them with appropriate training from local
community colleges
- Help employers
identify their skill requirements through an analysis of tasks and duties
performed at work
- Customize
employer profiles and prepare job descriptions
- Help employers
with succession plans and out-placement activities during downsizing or
reorganizations
- Contract for training in competencies
required for success
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- Develop and use
customized tools to make their locale or region more attractive for employers
- Facilitate
groups of competing and cooperating companies, suppliers, service providers and
research institutions working together in geographically bound concentrations
to produce clusters of innovation
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- Ensure that
future workers have the right skills
- Select appropriate education and training
programs to remedy knowledge or skill gaps
- Design and develop course and program
curriculum based on emerging and declining skills within industries and
occupations
- Determine which competencies are in highest
demand and help students plan their courses accordingly
- Suggest relevant postsecondary education and training opportunities, including apprenticeships
- Interpret career assessment tools so that
students and workers view their strengths and weaknesses and their likes and
dislikes in the context of the workplace
- Reduce the course and program curriculum development time
- Eliminate redundancy across courses
- Improve instructional materials
- Work with business experts to identify
skill requirements to ensure that the curriculum and/or professional, technical
programs are responsive to these requirements
- Offer targeted training courses to workers who are displaced or want to learn/upgrade relevant skills for new career
opportunities
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- Communicate effectively with employers and workers about training and retraining needs
- Communicate industry demands and requirements to potential workers
- Develop training and certification initiatives that complement employer and educational training opportunities
- Assist employees in matching their skills with employer work requirements
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- Accurately assess employer expectations of the skills they need for jobs and careers of their choice
- Explore career options and evaluate skills to determine likelihood of success
- Plan education, internships, and work experiences to build skills that are in demand
The following Matrix of Potential Users by Potential Uses
summarizes how these partners and stakeholders can use competency models to
meet their specific needs.
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Matrix of Potential Users by Potential Uses
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Potential Uses
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Potential Users
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WIBs
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One-Stops
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Business
& Industry
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Economic
Developers
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Educators
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Professional
Organizations
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Students and
their Parents
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X
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X
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Career Exploration
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X
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X
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X
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Career Guidance/
Counseling
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X
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X
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Career Paths, Ladders & Lattices
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X
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X
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Labor Pool Analysis
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X
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X
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X
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Strategic Planning for Workforce Programs:
Training, Development & Placement
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X
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X
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X
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Curriculum Development
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X
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X
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Workforce Assessment, Development,
Training and Placement
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X
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X
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HR Services to Business
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X
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X
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Compensation
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X
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Performance Management
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X
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Certification criteria
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X
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X
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Licensure criteria
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X
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Assessment development
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X
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X
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(Descriptions of Potential Uses to Accompany Previous Table)
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Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and
professional organizations can use competency models to perform community
outreach activities that generate career interest and communicate industry
expectations and demands to potential workers. Targets of these outreach
activities include youth, unemployed individuals, incumbent workers,
and individuals with disabilities or other barriers.
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Career Paths, Ladders & Lattices
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Labor Pool Analysis
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Strategic Planning for Workforce Programs: Training, Development &
Placement
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Curriculum Development
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The first stages of the process for developing a curriculum
(DACUM) is similar in some respects to the process for building a competency
model—it involves identifying the duties and tasks of the work to be performed
and the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities that would lead to
satisfactory performance of that work. A competency model can be developed using the content of course curricula. Conversely, a
competency model can be a good starting point for the development of curricula.
Competency models identify the skills and abilities that are
valued in a specific job or career field. A competency model could therefore
serve as an outline of important topics to be covered in a course.
If competency models are to be used to develop course
curricula, they need to be quite detailed and specific so that they will
support the development of learning objectives and specific course content.
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One-Stop Career Centers can compare the
skill base of their clients to the skill requirements included in local
business and industry competency models to identify gaps to be addressed.
Linking competencies to training programs and other developmental experiences
allows educators and One-Stop Career Centers to select appropriate education
and training to address these knowledge or skill gaps.
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HR Services to Business
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Performance Management
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Certification criteria
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Licensure criteria
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Assessment development
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Competency models generally are
developed as a platform for other products.
Identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully
perform critical work functions in an industry or occupation paves the way for
a myriad of uses. Here are a few
examples of how models have been used.
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As part of their strategic plan, the Pima County Workforce
Investment Board (WIB) in Arizona works to enhance the knowledge and skills of
area youth to ensure they are proficient in basic skills, know how to learn,
and have the skills necessary to achieve in the workforce. The Pima County WIB
uses employer competency models to define employer expectations against which
to measure student and program performance. For more information, visit
http://www.pimaworks.com/plan/plan.html#
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The Georgia Department of Education uses a competency-based
approach to career guidance. The competencies are organized around three career
development areas: self-knowledge/self-awareness; educational and occupational
exploration; and career planning and decision-making. These competencies are
used to help guide personal, social, familial, educational, and occupational
choices. For more information, visit
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/guidance/schoices/sc-d27.htm
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