Glossary

An occupation is defined as a set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised by a high degree of similarity. A person may be associated with an occupation through the main job currently held, a second job or a job previously held.

Occupational description is a brief general statement describing an occupation in comparison to an occupational standard that is more detailed listing of all major activities that a worker must perform in the occupation. Examples of things a job description might include are: • the job title • the employer’s name and its focus • the job purpose • main tasks and responsibilities • the reporting lines of the job - who the person is responsible to and (if appropriate) which other roles report to them • any minimum legal requirements, education or qualifications, or occupational licensing • ideal personal skills, knowledge and attributes for the job • any delegated authority the position has (financial and people) • place of work • performance measures for the job • hours of work • wage or salary range • customers and stakeholders, who the job works with internally and externally • any organisational competencies or values • the type of employment (e.g. full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed term, casual).

An OSP summarises essential characteristics required for a given job: the level of education and training required (and hence the complexity of the occupation); the field of education and training required; and other requirements in terms of knowledge, skills, competence, occupational interests, and work values.

There are different approaches to the term occupational standard: • Occupational standard refers to the statements of the activities and tasks related to a specific job and to its practice; • It can also be as “statements of the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for effective performance in a job role and are expressed as outcomes of competent performance.