Overview of the Competency Model Clearinghouse

Industry Competency Model Initiative Infographic Presentation

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Welcome to the Industry Competency Model Initiative: Promoting a Skilled Workforce presentation. In this brief demo you will learn about the ICM initiative, its application in the real world, and the tools made available to various users through the competency model clearinghouse website.

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"Industry Competency Model Initiative: Promoting a Skilled Workforce" In response to changing workforce skill needs, the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration and industry partners have collaborated to develop and maintain dynamic models of the foundational and technical competencies that are necessary in economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy. The goal of the Industry Competency Model Initiative is to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to educate and train a globally competitive workforce. It does this by providing competency models for key industry sectors. There are currently 26 models in industries as diverse as the economy itself, including transportation, hospitality, cybersecurity, and engineering, to name just a few.

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The initiative is tasked with: supporting the development of worker skills aligned with competencies needed in diverse workplaces. But what is a competency...?

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A competency is defined as 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."

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The center graphic is the framework of industry competency models found on the Competency Model Clearinghouse site. A competency model is a collection of multiple competencies that together define successful performance in a defined work setting. A model provides a clear description of what a person needs to know and be able to do – i.e., the knowledge, skills, and abilities – to perform well in a specific field or industry. Each model provides an in-depth understanding of the field and highlights the career pathways available by outlining the foundational and industry--related competencies for that sector as shown in the pyramid.

Competency models are intended to support workforce partnerships by providing a common framework for use by educators, businesses and workforce development professionals.

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In order to develop a skilled workforce, educators can use competency models to:

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Support curriculum evaluation and planning,

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And To identify competencies required for credentials in a particular field.

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Businesses can use Competency models to help find and develop skilled workers.

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They can use competency models to develop career paths identifying the opportunities for worker advancement.

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And to support worker recruitment assessment and training

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Competency models can also help workforce development professionals

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By Identifying area workforce skill gaps

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And by Supporting career exploration and guidance.

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Here we will take a closer look at the "Industry Competency Model Building Blocks" and introduce some useful tools that can be accessed on the Competency Model Clearinghouse website.

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Employment & Training Administration (ETA) worked with industrial/organizational psychology experts to develop a generic model of competencies, called the Building Blocks model, where each competency block represents an element of successful work performance. It provides a structure or framework for developing the personal effectiveness, academic, and workplace competencies required by an industry or an occupation.

For easy reference, similar competencies have been grouped on tiers. The colors provide a visual point of reference for the groups. Competencies on Tiers 1-3, referred to as Foundation competencies, are shown in shades of grey and red. The Technical competencies on Tiers 4 and 5, shown in shades of yellow, are those that are cross-cutting to an industry and are called Industry competencies. The knowledge and technical competencies on the top tier that are specific to key occupations within the industry sector, shown in shades of blue, are called Occupational competencies.

The competencies at the base of the model apply to a large number of industries. As a user moves up the model, the competencies become industry- and occupation- specific. The arrangement of the tiers in a pyramid shape represents the increasing level of specificity and specialization of the content on the upper tiers of the graphic. Now we'll take a closer look at the tiers in each section.

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The competency models provide a framework for systems of stackable credentials, so that individuals can build and expand on their credentials, even if they are earned at a variety of educational settings.

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At the base of the pyramid are the Foundational tiers, the building blocks of successful workplace performance: Personal Effectiveness, Academic, and Workplace Competencies. These competencies provide a foundation for success across virtually all industries. The credentials related to these competencies may include: work readiness certificates, high school diplomas, and GEDs.

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Industry related competencies are found in the next two tiers, the first containing Industry-Wide Technical Competencies, those which are cross-cutting, and the second, the more specific Industry-Sector Technical Competencies, usually in more specialized areas. Relevant credentials may include industry-recognized certifications.

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The top tier represents Management and Occupation-Specific Competencies. These competencies are often acquired through educational programs, apprenticeships, or military training. Degrees commensurate with these competencies include: advanced degrees and certificates, Associate's degrees, and occupational licenses or industry-recognized certifications.

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Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Competency Model Clearinghouse is an important tool for the development of career pathways within and across industry sectors and provides a customizable framework for competency-based education and training, assessment, and credentialing.

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The Competency Model Clearinghouse contains a number of resources and tools to help inform the public workforce system about the value, development, and uses of Competency Models.

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Thank you! Please visit www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/ for more information.