1. National Occupational Standards
The Employability Factor
Ben Akoh, PhD(c)
Standards Development Director

2. Overview
What is BTM?
Rationale for BTM NOS
Process
Opportunities

3. What is BTM?
An educational Solution that equips its graduates with the right business and technical skills to enter the workplace
Developed in collaboration with Industry and PSI since 2009
A set of Learning Outcomes and Competency Standards

4. What are NOS?
Statements of Standards of Performance individuals must achieve when carrying out workplace functions NOS are Standards that must be attained

5. Rationale for BTM NOS

6. BTM Responds to Canada’s Skills Gap
32% of Canada’s employers say their most pressing issue today is a shortage of “skilled” workers
More than 70% say this shortage is adversely affecting their ability to compete in the global economy (TD Bank 2013)
Young people avoid technology careers
Women make up less than 30% of the ICT workforce
Projected retirements threatens available pool talent

7. Without a plan to address this issue, Canadian employers will become less competitive and many high–paying, technology jobs will go elsewhere
Demand for technology–related skills in Canada remains strong
Over 800,000 Canadians are employed in tech–related jobs
Almost half are not in the tech sector
3% unemployment rate
But skill shortages persist in key sectors and geographies
Continuing skills mismatch
Young people avoid tech–related careers
Teachers, guidance counselors and parents often lack resources

8. ESDC/GoC Expansion Grant
$1.6million over 3 years ( )
Review and Expansion of BTM
(Evergreening 1.0 -> 2.0)
Develop Prioritized NOS
Professionalize BTM
Improve Branding and Awareness

9. Rationale for BTM NOS Key growth Contributor LMI’s are murky
4.9% of GDP - ICT Sector jobs
9.5% contribution from 2002 to 2010
Employs Canadians
34.1% Private Sector R&D funds in 2011
LMI’s are murky
Occupational definitions too broad. Non-Granular
Multi-sectoral ICTs skills less obvious
Aim: To increase Canada’s competitiveness in the Global Economy

10. Process

11. Process Industry research – Capture existing practices
Multi-sectoral stakeholder consultation
Identify and Select a priority List of Occupations
Develop, Test, and Refine Occupations
Publish
Develop Accreditation and Recognition Tools

12. Prioritized NOS 27 New Job Profiles In 5 BTM Specializations
Focused on Entry-level BTM graduate positions

13. Job Profiles
Good mix of knowledge and experiential competencies and skills
Prior knowledge, experience and qualification
Task (tools and technology)
Required Competencies (Knowledge, skills)
Personal Attributes (Abilities, work values/styles)
Essential Skills (Reading, numeracy, oral communication)
Thinking Skills (problem solving, decision making)
Goes beyond mere cognitive skills

14. Strategy Mapping the BTM NOS to the NOC/Exploring Gaps
Exploring Connections to Jobbank.gc.ca
Developing Career Counseling opportunities with Career Handbook

16. BTM NOS vs. NOC Gaps Two level of gaps: New Occupations in BTM NOS
Eg. Agile Transformation Coach, IT Governance and Compliance Manager (Finance)
Existing/similar occupations with enhanced annotations
Eg. Health Project Managers, Finance Security Analyst

18. Career Handbook
Acts as a Counselling Component of the NOC (2011 Revision)
Provides global ratings assigned to occupations to define skills, characteristics and indicators related to occupation
Important for career exploration and informed career decision making
Contains 923 occupational profiles

19. What are the Opportunities for your institutions?

20. 1. Recognition

21. BTM Certification Progression
Recognition among two constituencies
Students (Competencies) -> Professionalization
Institutions (Programs)

22. Certification/Recognition/Credentialing
Steps
Students
Institutions
Knowledge Area
Body of Knowledge
Demonstrate competencies in the 70 Learning areas
Ensure programs produce 70 learning outcomes
Competency Level
Exhibit knowledge and competencies in the respective level of responsibility and Skill (7 Levels)
Ensure students meet the requirements of the levels through a balanced combination of “knowledge” and “experience”
Certification Levels
Attain the requisite level of certification:
Associate
Professional
Advanced Professional
Deliver Programs corresponding to the appropriate levels of certification:
Baccalaureate
Continuing Education
Masters

23. 2. Program Design
Development of appropriate programs that reflect your market’s needs
Already designed and developed Labour Market Analysis through rigorous research methodology
Allows opportunity to create innovative programming

24. 3. Branding and Promotion

25. Branding and Brand Awareness
“There’s a brand for that BTM”
Awareness through:
Webinars
Promotion on ITAC Website
Promotion on your school site (with requisite accreditation/recognition)
Conferences

26. 4. Ready to use BTM sample job profiles

27. 5. Commit to the BTM Brand

28. Ben Akoh, Standards Development Director, bakoh@itac.ca
Gina Van Dalen, Senior Project Manager,