What are the specific differences between training and competence, and how do we ensure staff are competent to go out to work?
Training is a structured approach to enrich someone's knowledge by completing specific courses or on the job training where skills are given to put theory into practice. Training is an environment in which people practice techniques to acquire skills.
However, a trained person is not necessarily a competent person. Competence means demonstrating gained knowledge and skills to achieve the results required to carry out a specific job.
Attending training and having the theoretical knowledge will not be sufficient to carry out a task safely and does not demonstrate that a worker is competent.
We review our workforce's competence regularly, considering changes within the market, products and legislation. By looking at our staff's skills, experience, technical knowledge, and behaviours, we can monitor and assess them to ensure they remain competent and current.
These two words are usually banded together but both have separate meanings as Training certainly underpins competence and is the foundation for anyone, but Competence is having the experience and being measured which is done through assessments by supervisory positions within the industry they operate within.
That is why Namaka Compliance has created Outsourced Competence Assurance Support (OCAS) as we recognise that not everyone is a competence expert. The service enables access to our team of competence specialists along with our online Competence Management System (CMS) ‘Athena’ on a retainer basis.
For further information on our OCAS services and if we can assist you with developing, implementing or maintaining a CMS please contact Namaka Compliance on support@namakacompliance.com