COMPETENCY BASED TRAINING IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Recent developments. Some experiences. January, 2003

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In 1996, the National Training Service (SENA) in Colombia(www.sena.gov.co) began work on shaping a national training system. At the core of this system, competency-based training was conceived of as a strategy for modernizing curriculums, bringing training programs up to date and making the training more relevant.

The SENA has done extensive work on training its own personnel in the principles and methodology of functional analysis and in competency-based training. This has enabled it to evolve an effective strategy of simultaneously approaching different sectors and regions in the country to develop pilot training applications based on competencies. It has also enabled the organization to prepare a guide for the realization of occupational studies5 based on functional analysis, one of the basic tools for curricular updating. At the moment, the pilot tests that are under way have made it possible to identify successful experiences and give them improved follow up.

In the middle term strategic plan, "Visión del SENA al 2006" (The SENA outlook towards 2006) proposes to work on the "Standardization and Certification of Labour Performance" along the following lines:

• Propose state policies for the standardization and certification of labour performance.
• Establish a labour competencies standardization and certification system, in association with the other actors involved. The SENA will be the national body for standardizing and certifying the labour competencies of workers.
• Guarantee the operation of the Labour Competencies Accreditation and Standardization System by advising, following up and monitoring the various bodies that make it up.
• Consolidation of sectorial discussion groups.
• Lead and position the Colombian standardization model in the Community of Andean Nations (CAN).
• Lead in the coordination of levels and modalities of education and training for work in the training chain (medium technical, technological and university levels).
• Evaluate the quality of the national offer of technical education and of integral vocational training based on national norms of labour competency.
• Train assessors and auditors for the certification of worker performance.

 

 

 

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Further information on this guide is available at www.oitcinterfor.org/competencies/tools : www.oitcinterfor.org/complab/banco/index.htm

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