Competency Connections: Bridging Industries and Education
One of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) roles is to provide investments in job training for targeted in-demand industry sectors and associated occupations, through both formula and competitive grants. In support of those efforts, ETA has worked with business leaders, education, labor, and the public workforce investment system, to create comprehensive and readily accessible documentation of the skills and competencies required in economically vital industry sectors.
ETA partners with AIR to provide technical assistance through the Competency Model Clearinghouse. Our collaborative effort aims to provide technical assistance to users, enabling them to develop, validate, and enhance competency models. These models serve as valuable tools for various workforce and economic development initiatives.
As part of the partnership, AIR works with leaders from business, education, and labor sectors, along with the public workforce investment systems, to create comprehensive and readily accessible documentation of the skills and competencies required in economically vital industry sectors (e.g., manufacturing, IT hospitality, health care).
To date, over 30 industry competency models have been developed; the models serve as tools to support many aspects of workforce and economic development including:
- Apprenticeship programs;
- Youth programs;
- Job/occupational training programs;
- State/local sector strategies;
- Competency-based education; and
- Competency-based assessments.
The competency models provide a common language and framework to improve communication and understanding among diverse partners with a stake in workforce development at the state and local levels where training is delivered and hiring takes place.
