By Jeff Griffiths & Janet Lane
In the Edmonton Journal
March 8, 2015
As many as 100,000 Albertans have lost their jobs because of the fall in oil prices. It would be easier for them to find good, meaningful work if they had a way to prove what they can actually do.
Most of Alberta’s job seekers have earned certificates, degrees, tickets and diplomas in the past, but have no way of proving what they are capable of actually doing now. Their resumes will talk about their credentials, and the work they have done over the years, and in many cases will show remarkable accomplishments. But they will not list their competencies — the things they can actually do and how well they can do them.
Competencies are rarely unique to one occupation. Many of our competencies — the knowledge, skills and attributes we have gained over time — make us good employees in one job but also capable of moving between occupations.
As anyone who has looked for a job for a long time knows, the job market, and especially this one, does not reward those who are passive. One thing that might make the difference is to build a resume based on competencies.
Canada does not have a formal system for assessing and credentialing competencies gained outside of formal schooling (and really doesn’t do a particularly good job of recognizing those either). As a consequence, we often forget to acknowledge them or even include them in resumes or job postings.
Other jurisdictions, including our major trading partners in the United States, the European Union and the Asia Pacific region, have these frameworks or are developing them. Canada lags behind.
Here are the skills for the 21st century: problem-solving, collaboration and team work, empathy, decision-making, verbal and written communication, planning skills, digital skills, leadership skills and business acumen. Most employers are looking for them, top performers have them at high levels, but not all employers or job seekers can articulate them well.
A first step to building a resume that will help people to move into different jobs could be for them to identify which of these competencies they have and at what level. A Government of Canada website can help individuals identify and assess some of these cross-occupation competencies, which are called essential skills in Canada.
Most job postings, however, focus on technical skills, in the context of a particular job. Some sectors in Canada have identified which technical competencies are needed, and to what level, to perform the various jobs. However, without a national framework, there is no one place to go to figure out for what other occupations a person might be qualified.
The U.S. is further advanced. An organization called O-Net allows a search by occupation, drills down to some of the underlying skills, and allows cross-referencing to other occupations that use the same. The Competency Clearinghouse contains numerous online competency profiles that have been submitted by industry groups, and others. These can act as a great starting point for individuals wishing to create their own resume based on what they can actually do.
Levels of competency are also important. The EU has a gauge that can be useful, the European Qualifications Framework.
Canadian do not have to start from scratch. We can use the experience of other jurisdictions when building our competency frameworks. We should build them soon. They provide employers the assurance that candidates actually can do the jobs they apply for.
While we can all hope that the oil sector will rebound and hire back many of the people they have recently cut, hope is not a strategy. Many individuals will have to move into new jobs in different industries. Some already have.
For those who are searching, there are no guarantees that the competencies approach will help, but many employers in Canada are beginning to understand that competence is the best credential.
Jeff Griffiths is a management consultant based in Calgary and Janet Lane is the Director of the Centre for Human Capital Policy at the Canada West Foundation.