Terms

1. 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

2. 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

3. Competency • Essential to link to goals • Characterized by: • Individualized • Outcome oriented • Flexible Three elements • Underlying characteristic • Causality • Performance

4. Hidden Motives Traits Self Concept Visible Knowledge Skill Elements of Competency

5. Some Considerations • Terminology • Off the shelf versus tailor made competencies • Flexibility

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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