Occupational standards in Great Britain: development, structure, goals

Abstract

In the article the author researches development, structure, and goals of Great Britain’s occupational standards being one of modern tendencies for skilled workers training in EU countries. These standards play role of instruments which contribute to creation of steady and efficient interaction of a labor sphere with a sphere of education guaranteeing rational use of human resources and stable progress of British society.

Occupational standards’ structure and content that vary in wide scales and depend on range of factors, specifically: the character of occupational activity regulated by a standard (superiority of stereotype or unique performance); specific tasks solved by a certain standard and determined by particular normative documents; methods of their creation are considered. It is indicated that in labor sphere occupational standards help with: forming and supporting high professional level of labor force that meets production demands hence securing raise of productivity and competitiveness; determining and creating demands for labor force and vocational training; effective and substantiated personnel selection together with «in- company» vocational training; examination, attestation, and certification of qualifications; growth of workers’ mobility. In the sphere of education occupational standards are used when: working out vocational training curricula corresponding to certain requirements of economy; ensuring coordination of different level and kind curricula and intensifying the integrity of the whole vocational training system aiming at formation of efficient and flexible system that is able to quickly and adequately agree with changes in socio-economic sphere.

The author reveals main features of UK’s occupational standards that include: name of profession, possible names of positions, description of professions, qualification level, requirements to practical work experience and state of health, sufficient level of vocational education and training, list of administrative functions, general terms of work implementation, and requirements to personal employee’s qualities.

General strategy concerning occupational standards for 2010-2020 which will ...