Terms

• Competence – the ability to perform the activities within an occupation or function to the standard expected in employment

• Competency standard – the specification of knowledge or skill and its application within an industry to the standard of employment required in employment

Roots of the Competency Approach

• Old concept based in psychology

• USA approaches in 1960s and 1970s

• Spread to Europe and Australia due to:– Government pressure – Employer pressure– Changing organizational structures

Competency• Essential to link to goals• Characterized by:

– Individualized– Outcome oriented– Flexible

Three elements1. Underlying characteristic2. Causality3. Performance

Elements of Competency

Hidden

• Motives• Traits• Self Concept

Visible

• Knowledge• Skill

Some Considerations

• Terminology

• Off the shelf versus tailor made competencies

• Flexibility

International Approaches

• ASEAN• APEC• Australia• Canada• England and Wales• The European Union• OECD and International Labor Organization

The Australian Approach

• Internationally competitive workforce• Australian National Training Authority

(ANTA)• Built around Training Packages which

specify the competencies• Industry led• Nationally coordinated National Training

Framework

Tourism Training Australia (TTA)

• Leading national industry training advisory association

• Established 1982 to create a flexible, integrated and effective training system for the tourism and hospitality industry

• Built upon industry consultation

TTA Training Packages

• Nationally endorsed competency standards and qualifications for recognizing and assessing people’s skills

• Training package describes the skills and knowledge needed to perform effectively in the workplace

• Widespread consultation with the tourism and hospitality sector

• Available for all jobs in the sector

National Qualification Framework (NQF)

• The NQF reflects all jobs on the sector

• Six levels– Certificate I to IV– Diploma– Advanced diploma

• Each qualification has a core and a series of electives

TTA Competency Standards

• Statements that define the specific knowledge and skills required for successful performance in the industry

• Nationally agreed benchmarks• Flexible framework to be applied across the

sector• Organized on three principles:

– Define skills and knowledge;– Balance commercial reality with cultural and

environmental sensitivities;– Can be tailored to meet individual needs of employees

and enterprises

TTA Competency Standards

• Organized into units with a code and title

• Each covers common competencies (e.g. communication) and sector specific competencies in– Hospitality– Tourism– Caravans

The ASEAN Approach

• The 11th meeting of the ASEAN taskforce on tourism manpower tabled a set of minimum competency standards within a qualifications framework.– Retail and wholesale travel;– Housekeeping;– Front office; and– Food and beverage service

The APEC approach

• Tourism Occupational Skill Standard Development in the APEC region

• Development of skill standards and mapping jobs onto those standards

• Done for – Hospitality– Tours and travel