National Training Agency National Occupational Standards

Industry Training Organisations

Industry Training

National Occupational Standards

What are National Occupational Standards?

National Occupational Standards define the competences required for effective workplace performance. They specify what a person should know and do in order to carry out the functions of a particular job in the context of the wider work environment. Standards are an agreed minimum best practice and take into account all statutory requirements.
These standards are national because they are developed and widely promulgated by industries or sectors in which the specific skills are utilised. They present a common standard for the entire industry and are developed to specifications established for all industries. National occupational standards are regularly reviewed and updated through consultation with employers, training providers, labour organisations and professional and trade associations.

Who develops National Occupational Standards?

There are a number of standard-setting bodies called Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) which work in partnership with the National Training Agency (NTA) in the development, validation and publication of national occupational standards.
The process is industry-led and relies on the active involvement of employers, employees, training providers, workers' unions and other people with expertise in the particular occupational area.

Why do we need National Occupational Standards?

National Occupational Standards are the building blocks of the Trinidad and Tobago National Vocational Qualifications (TTNVQs) and their equivalent in England (NVQs), Scotland (SVQs) and Jamaica (NVQ-J).
A TTNVQ, when awarded, is confirmation that the individual has displayed competence as determined by the relevant industry and specified in the standards.

National Occupational Standards guarantee:

the competence of the workforce

the relevance of training

improved skills and knowledge base for the industry and

fairness in such practises as recruitment, promotion and compensation.

How are standards developed?

The National Training Agency uses a process called functional analysis which is widely accepted internationally as a superior method of standard development. The principal methodology used is disaggregation which involves the classification of the occupational area by the separation of functions. The outcome of this process is the functional map.
Each National Occupational Standard begins with a definition of the occupational area and a description of the nature of the work. The key role of the worker is then explained in the context of the industry or sector.