DOCUMENT RESUME ED 386 559 CE 069 781 AUTHOR Oliveira, Joao, Ed. TITLE Occupational Standards: International Perspectives. INSTITUTION Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center on Education and Training for Employment. PUB DATE 95 NOTE 144p. AVAILABLE FROMPublications, Center on Education and Training for Employment, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090 (order no. SN69: $14.95). PUB TYPE Collected Works - General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; Basic Skills; Educational Certificates; Ethics; Foreign Countries; International Educational Exchange; *Job Skills; Job Training; *Occupational Information; Postsecondary Education; Profiles;' Secondary Education; *Standards; *Student Certification; Track System (Education); Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS Canada; Germany; Ireland; Netherlands; United Kingdom ABSTRACT These nine papers from a conference of the International Research Network for Training and Development focus on occupational classification, standards, and certification. "Introduction" ;Joao Oliveria) presents synopses with highlights from the papers. Part I offers an overview of recent developments in the United States in "Occupational Standards and Certification: Past-Current-Future Trends in the United States" (David Fretwell, Sandra Pritz); Canada in "The Delimitation and Certification of Occupations in Canada" (David N. Wilson); and France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in "Industrial Certification: Lessons from Europe" (W. G. McDerment). The papers highlight issues of delimitation and certification, the role of governments, and the weight of social traditions and institutional forms in shaping new solutions. Part II allows the reader to compare how three countries--the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlandsconverge on the essentials while maintaining their own ways of going about the business of occupational delimitation in "An Examination of the Work of Purchasing Managers in the United States Using Job Comparative Techniquee (Eugene W. Muller); "The Development and Implementation of National Vocational Qualifications in Purchasing: Some Issuss of Validity and Value (Andrew Erridge); and "Job Profiles of Purchasing Professionals" (M. Mulder, M. Bellemakers). Part III highlights three emerging issues. "Basic Skills: An Approach to Occupational Classification" (Joao Oliveira) suggests ways in which basic skills may form a conceptual foundation to occupational delimitation, standard setting, and certification. "A Converging System? Explaining Difference in the Academic and Vocational Tracks in England and Wales" (Tim Oatts) characterizes factors that affect convergence and divergence in th. academic and vocational pathways in the education and training system. "Occupational Standards and Business Ethics" (Judith Marquand) introduces an empirical and conceptual framework for addressing ethical considerations rlated to occupational standards and certification. (YLB) _ _ U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office et Educattonal Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIQN CENTER (ERIC) , -wft ,Vits,431q,1-4:'.114:4°"Vefi,'Et KThis documenthas been reproduced as _ received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to -. improve reproduction quality 4 , , " Points of view or opinions stated in this - , dmument do not necessarily represent official OERI position oi policy z - '"PERMISSION 0 REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL H S BEEN GRANTED BY :7 - TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." tr.:1 -.1 jr 4' 1,1; t 't N. ; - CENTER ON EDUCATION E AND TRAININO FOR EMPLOYMENT bIO College tit Education STATE UNIVERSITY f \ BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Occupational Standards: International Perspectives Edited by: Joao Oliveira Center on Education and Training for Employment College of Education The Ohio State University 1900Kenny Road Columbus, OH 43210-1090 1995 Copyright @ 1995. Jogo Batista A. e Oliveira and Center on Education and Trainingfor Employment, The Ohio State University. All rights reserved. 4 Table of Contents Foreword Introduction 1 Joao Oliveira Part I- International Perspectives Chapter 1.Occupational Standards and Certification: Past-Current-Future Trends in the United States 9 David Fretwell & Sandra Fritz Chapter 2.The Delimitation and Certification of Occupations in Canada 19 David N. Wilson Chapter 3.Industrial Certification: Lessons from Europe 29 W.G. M -Derment Part II - Purchasing Managers: Three Converging Approaches Chapter 4.An Examination of The Work of Purchasing Managers in the United States Using Job Comparative Techniques 37 Eugene W. Muller Chapter 5.The Development and Implementation of National Vocational Qualifications in Purchasing: Some Issues of Validity and Value ,53 Andrew Erridge Chapter 6.Job Profiles of Purchasing Professionals 69 M. Mulder & M. Bellemakers Part III - New Trends And Challenges Chapter 7.Basic Skills: An Approach to Occupational Classification 85 Joiio Oliveira Chapter 8.A Converging System? Explaining Difference in the Academic and Vocational Tracks in England and Wales 97 Tim Oates Chapter 9.Occupational Standards and Business Ethics 125 Judith Marquand in Foreword Much of the work of the Center on Education and Training for Employment in the. 1990s has been undertaken in the international sphere to promote the sharing for mutual benefit of what people in many places are experiencing and learning that is relevant to improved preparation for employment. When Multiple perspectives on common questions can be discussed, the outcome islikely to be an enhanced ability to make progress toward sustainably productive economies. It is in that spirit that the Center is responding to the opportunity presented when a number of researchers gathered for a conferenceof the International Research Network for Training and Development to discuss their papers on the topic of occupational classification, standards, and certification. All countries are facing widespread changes in the workplace, in defining what constitutes an occupation, and in identifying the requirements for successfully performing its tasks. The publication of these papers makes it possible to expand the dialogue considerably. Readers will become aware rather quickly of the international flavor of this publi- cation, as each paper retains the stylistic practices and spelling of the country of its origin. This is certainly in keeping with the subtitle: International Perspectives. The Center would like to thank all the authors who contributed their papers and especially Jo So Oliveira, the author who volunteered to edit the Compilation and write the introduction. As the document goes to press, Dr. Oliveira has just undertaken the position of Deputy Secretary of Education in his native country of Brazil, on leave from the World Bank. In this position, he will face the challenges of the occupational standards issues in a new way. Dr. Oliveira was assisted by Sandra Pritz, Research Specialist at the Center, who coordinated the publication. David Halsey managed the publication process and Kathy Kush prepared the manuscript for publication. Ray D. Ryan Executive Director Center on Education and Training for Employment 6 Introduction Throughout the industrialized world, economic factors such as the international frameworkof national economies, the consolidation of regional economic blocs, technological changes in produc- tion, and innovations in the delivery of services have placed newdemands on education and training and eroded traditional occupational standards, boundaries andcertification requirements. The new demands have created new challenges but also new opportunitiesfor the workforce. The new demands may increase the status oftechnical occupations, and indirectly, may increase the status of vocational and technical education and training streams.The results are already visible: OECD countries, newly industrializing countries of Asia, and countries asdiverse as Turkey and Mexico are all taking up the challenge of redefining occupational categoriesin flexible ways that allow these rapidl) changing demands to be met. In North America, the United States has taken the lead (Chapter 2). Pastinitiatives, most of which were inarticulate, decentralized, orinitiated by the private sector, have brought about a national focus, as documented in such articles as "Investing in People: A Strategy toAddress American's Workforce" (1979); "America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages" (1990), "America 2000Goals" (National Education Goals Panel (1991), and the SCANS Report (Secretary'sCommission on Achieving Necessary Skills), "What Work Requires of Schools" (1991), the most popular inthis series. In response to economic decline and the increased export of low-paidindustries during the 1980s, Canada (Chapter 3) created the equivalent of a National Training Boardand embarked on a selective program of occupational delimitation for the jobs considered morecritical for the economy. These changes are alreadyleading to extensive improvements in the country's systems of training and certification, including the revision of the former RedSeals program. Mexico is also attempting to set up a national system of occupational certification,prompted by the new challenges of a common regional market created with the approval ofthe North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Changes in Europe are no less profound. The UK, France, and Germanyshow some of the changes in the structure of occupational delimitation andcertification procedures (Chapter 4). Changes in these