A competency standard is a written specification of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the performance of an occupation, trade or job corresponding to the industry standard of performance required in the workplace.

The purpose of a competency standards is to:

• provide a consistent and reliable set of components for training, recognizing and assessing people’s skills, and may also have optional support materials
• enable industry recognized qualifications to be awarded through direct assessment of workplace competencies encourage the development and delivery of flexible training which suits individual and industry requirements
• encourage learning and assessment in a work-related environment which leads to verifiable workplace outcomes

This competency standard is developed by a working group comprised of representative from NSDA, Key Institutions, CBT experts and certified professionals.

Competency standards describe the skills, knowledge and attitude needed to perform effectively in the workplace. CS acknowledge that people can achieve technical and vocational competency in many ways by emphasizing what the learner can do, not how or where they learned to do it.

With competency standards, training and assessment may be conducted at the workplace or at training institute or assessment center or any combination of these.

Competency standards consist of a number of units of competency. A unit of competency describes a distinct work activity that would normally be undertaken by one person in accordance with industry standards.

Units of competency are documented in a standard format that comprises of:

• unit title
• nominal duration
• unit code
• unit descriptor elements and performance criteria
• variables and range statement
• curricular content guide assessment evidence guide

Together, all the parts of a unit of competency:

• describe a work activity
• guide the assessor to determine whether the candidate is competent or not yet com petent

The ensuing sections of this document comprise of a description of the relevant occupation, trade or job with all the key components of a unit of competency, including:

• a chart with an overview of all Units of Competency for the relevant occupation, trade or job including the Unit Codes and the Unit of Competency titles and corresponding Elements.
• the Competency Standard that includes the Unit of Competency, Unit Descriptor, Elements and Performance Criteria, Range of Variables, Curricular Content Guide and Assessment Evidence Guide.