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 elements 1.Underlying characteristic 2.Causality 3.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 11 th 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