Traditional education has seen us all follow a similar, one-size-fits-all learning approach. The curriculum is set, and everyone participates in the same content. Some individuals are already competent, but because of the rigidity of the system, they are required to repeat information they already know. Others are less competent and need more time and one-on-one support to master the same set of skills and knowledge.
Sound familiar?
But why should everyone follow the same type of training when we all have different learning preferences and professional experiences? Well, you don’t have to. With the increase in demand for more personalised learning, there’s now a rise in competency-based training.
Competency-based training was introduced in Australia in the late 1980s and is now a widely recognised method of vocational learning.
It’s a flexible style of learning built around helping a team member develop practical skills and knowledge (rather than abstract concepts) to meet the expectations of their role. Instead of every team member going through the same training, competency-based training tailors the learning to each person's current skills. This way, there is a focus on filling specific gaps in their knowledge and experience.
Rather than focusing on a broad topic and covering it in general terms, competency-based training focuses on one specific skill, which is broken down into smaller, bite-sized bits of learning. Team members are then offered the chance to learn at their own pace as part of their larger workday. This allows individuals to move quickly through courses they might have previous experience with while allowing others without the same background knowledge to focus on developing new skills.
The benefits for business are clear.
Competency-based training ensures that team members only learn what they need to know, avoiding redundant or unnecessary training.
Training can be tailored to individual needs, addressing specific skill gaps and enhancing job performance.
By focusing on competencies, competency-based training drives meaningful improvements in job performance and behaviour.
Investing in training that directly aligns with job requirements can lead to better returns on investment.
Employers can invest in targeted and effective training opportunities by focusing on specific skill sets. This type of training is designed to fit a team member’s timeline, integrating more easily into their workday and avoiding the need to pull them away from their work to participate in more traditional types of training.
And for your team members, there are also numerous benefits.
Learners will focus on a single competency at a time. For example, they might be identified as needing support with their communication skills. Rather than completing one generic course on communication, they are enrolled in several skill-specific courses based on the gaps that have been identified in their current ability.
Couple this with active learning opportunities, where team members and their coach meet to discuss and practice these skills, and you have the perfect recipe for skill mastery.
Competency-based training focuses on your team members' skills and the steps they need to take to achieve the next level of competency. Unlike other learning methods, they can take these steps at their own pace. This is one of the main benefits of competency-based training, especially for adult learners, as it gives them complete freedom and flexibility to study around their existing commitments.
Unlike traditional degrees, competency-based training focuses on the practical skills required to achieve the desired outcome. These programmes generally consist of online learning complemented by active learning experiences supported by their coach, allowing your team members to prove their mastery in the specific topic.
Team members receive clear development goals that enable them to track their growth and become active partners in their skill advancement. This proactive approach boosts morale and job satisfaction. And, since competency-based training is less overwhelming than a more traditional approach to training, team members retain and apply the knowledge they have gained.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of competency-based training in action.
James works in a busy retail store. He is exceptional at his job on the shop floor, and his manager can see that he has mastered the skills he needs to engage with customers. This is evidenced by his sales, which are above average month on month.
While James excels on the shop floor, his manager has identified that he needs some support in communicating with his teammates. His default behaviour during challenging conversations is to become quite defensive, which has caused his team members to distance themselves from him.
A comprehensive communication programme is available that teaches skills such as active listening, body language, common communication barriers, tone-pitch-and-pace, empathy, and difficult conversation. James is great at the first five topics but certainly needs to grow in difficult conversations, so he is enrolled in that course.
The difficult conversations course includes active learning components that require him to discuss with his manager what he has learned and how he will implement this at work. He also needs to practice some techniques with his manager to show he can successfully engage in difficult conversations at work.
Here’s another example in a manufacturing environment.
Sarah works in a busy manufacturing plant. She excels at operating machinery and consistently meets her production targets, often exceeding them. Her manager recognises that Sarah has mastered the technical skills required for her role, as evidenced by her high efficiency and low error rates.
While Sarah excels in her technical abilities, her manager has noticed she needs support in safety protocol adherence. Sarah tends to overlook some safety procedures, which poses a risk to her and her colleagues. A comprehensive safety training programme is available, covering topics such as equipment handling, emergency procedures, hazard identification, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and safety communication. Sarah is proficient in equipment handling and emergency procedures but needs improvement in PPE usage and safety communication, so she is enrolled in those specific courses.
The safety communication and PPE courses include active learning components requiring Sarah to discuss with her manager what she has learned and how she will apply it on the plant floor. She also needs to demonstrate her understanding by correctly using PPE and effectively communicating safety protocols to her team, ensuring she can maintain a safe working environment.
Remember, training isn’t just for entry-level employees; leaders, managers and supervisors can benefit from competency-based training too. To evaluate their skills (and their gaps) get alongside them and observe how they work. You might like to run a project together from start to finish. Go through identifying objectives, setting goals, creating and delegating tasks, overseeing execution, and conducting post-evaluation. Document this process to compare their performance when they run a project independently.
So, what do you need to do to successfully implement a competency-based training framework within your organisation? Here are a few steps you can follow.
Identify, in detail, the skills and knowledge required for each job.
Determine how the performance standard is set and how you will communicate this to the team members. Be sure to consider how you’ll assist them if they fall short of expectations.
Conduct a skills analysis to evaluate your team members' current performance levels against the performance standards you set in Step 2. This will help identify areas where team members excel and areas that would benefit from targeted skills development.
Choose how you will offer learning opportunities to fill any competency gaps. Make sure your offering includes active learning opportunities so team members can discuss and practice what they learn. This moves them towards mastery much quicker.
Ensure you have a system to monitor and track learner completions. Offer reinforcement training on a recurring basis to refresh skills and knowledge. It’s also a great idea to have a system that enables you to offer incentives for your team members to recognise their commitment to their learning.
Continually adapt and update your training methods to create a personalised strategy for your team members.
Feel free to encourage your employees to work together on tasks when possible. If you notice that one employee consistently struggles with a certain task but excels at another, consider dividing the workload between them and another team member. This way, they can learn from each other and improve their performance … together.
Coaching enables businesses to move team members' skills to a mastery level much quicker in a competency-based training approach. Here’s why:
Coaching provides tailored feedback, helping team members understand their strengths and areas for improvement, which accelerates skill development.
Coaches offer ongoing support and guidance, helping team members navigate challenges and stay motivated. They ensure that team members remain engaged and committed to their training.
Coaching encourages the practical application of new skills in real-world scenarios, reinforcing learning and making it more relevant and effective.
Regular check-ins with a coach create a sense of accountability, prompting team members to stay on track with their training goals and make continuous progress.
Coaches help build learners' confidence by providing a safe space to practice and refine new skills, fostering a sense of competence and readiness.
By incorporating coaching into competency-based training, learners receive the personalised support and guidance needed to master specific competencies, leading to improved learning outcomes and job performance.
The core aim of training within a business is to ensure all team members have the skills and knowledge to perform their roles to a high standard.
Competency-based training (CBT) is a strategic approach to achieving this goal, focusing on the outcomes of training to ensure that it’s relevant, effective, and directly applicable to the job at hand.
Competency-based training is a personalised approach to team member development that focuses on mastering specific skills and competencies required for a job. It assesses each individual's current abilities and tailors the training to address specific gaps in knowledge and performance, ensuring that training is relevant and directly applicable to their role. This method emphasises practical application, allowing team members to progress at their own pace, ensuring they gain the necessary competencies to perform their jobs effectively.
Focus on outcomes
Training is designed to achieve specific skills and performance outcomes.
Individualised learning
Training is customised based on each individual's needs and current competencies.
Continuous assessment
Regular evaluations using techniques such as coaching are used to measure progress and mastery of skills.
Traditional training often involves a set curriculum for all participants, regardless of their existing knowledge. Competency-based training is tailored to individual needs, focusing on specific skills and outcomes relevant to the job.
Competency-based education is a similar concept applied in educational settings. In this approach, students progress upon demonstrating mastery of specific skills or knowledge rather than through traditional time-based measures.
Mastery learning is an approach where learners are expected to achieve a high level of understanding and competence in a subject before moving on to more advanced topics. It aligns closely with the principles of competency-based training, emphasising mastery of specific skills before progression.
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