National Occupational Standards
National Occupational Standards are manuals that describe the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to be considered competent in an occupation. Standards are the basis for Professional Certification in frontline and managerial occupations. They are also used for curriculum development in tourism-based courses offered by post-secondary institutions, private schools, and trainers across the country.
Thousands of industry professionals across Canada who work in the occupation have set the standards. Industry professionals have volunteered their time for the development of 46 National Occupational Standards in the tourism sector. The process used to set the standards allows for frontline staff, supervisors, managers, and business owners to participate in their development and validate the content.
Standards are used in a number of ways.
- Employees use standards as a study and performance manual for Professional Certification.
- Employers use standards to develop job descriptions, train employees, evaluate performance, and help staff achieve a professional level of competency.
- Educators and trainers use standards to design training and educational programs.
Yes, Professional Certification recognizes employees for having a broad range of knowledge and skills in a particular occupation. Your workplace policies may be different from the industry standards, but you are is still required to know and be able to perform the skills as outlined in order to complete certification and be recognized nationally.
A workbook is a self-study guide that contains all the standards for an occupation, as well as additional information, including exercises, performance reviews (checklists), and self-examination tools. A workbook has a pre-check at the beginning of each module to help you determine how familiar you are with the topic, and a review and self-examination at the end of each module to help you determine if you have acquired the knowledge and mastered the skills necessary to engage in a performance evaluation. At the end of the workbook, there is a short exam to test your knowledge of the entire workbook.
