The broad concept of industry competency concerns the ability to perform particular tasks and duties to the standard of performance expected in the workplace. Competency requires the application of specified skills, knowledge and attitudes relevant to effective participation in an industry, industry sector or enterprise.
Competency covers all aspects of workplace performance and involves:
- performing individual tasks
- managing a range of different tasks
- responding to contingencies or breakdowns
- the ability to deal with the responsibilities of the workplace, including working with others.
Workplace competency requires the ability to apply relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes consistently over time and in the required workplace situations and environments. In line with this concept of competency, Training Packages focus on what is expected of a competent individual in the workplace as an outcome of learning, rather than focussing on the learning process itself.
Units of Competency in Training Packages are developed by industry to meet the identified skill needs of industry. Each unit of competency identifies a discrete workplace requirement and includes the knowledge and skills that underpin competency as well as language, literacy and numeracy; and occupational health and safety requirements. The units of competency must be adhered to in assessment to ensure consistency of outcomes.
Units of competency are the smallest component of achievement which can be nationally recognised: it is the unit of competency as a whole, not individual elements or performance criteria, which are recognised.
Units of competency:
- are nationally agreed statements of the skills and knowledge required for effective performance in a particular job or job function
- describe work outcomes
- can logically stand alone when applied in a work situation.
Units of competency do not describe the procedures necessary to perform a particular role.
They provide the basis for:
- recognition of skills within and across industries
- work organisation reviews and options
- development of training
- assessment
- certification
- credit transfer and articulation.
Each unit of competency describes:
- a specific work activity
- the conditions under which it is conducted
- 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, implementers of Training Packages will be able to understand the following:
- the work activity and what it involves
- the particular skills (and level of skills) that are needed to perform the work activity
- the conditions under which the work activity may be conducted
- the evidence that is needed to demonstrate that a person is competent in the work activity
- the knowledge and skills that are required to perform the work activity
- the generic work skills (or employability skills) that are needed
- the evidence that should be gathered to demonstrate competency
- the resources that may be needed to gather the evidence.