Employers today need employees who have more than technical skills. They seek individuals who can demonstrate a variety of social and personal attributes as well as the ability to learn new skills. These skills are also the key for career advancement and satisfaction.

Key competencies refer to generic skills that apply to most jobs. The Mayer Key Competencies were developed by the Mayer Committee in the early 1990s, but from July 2006, these are being progressively replaced by Employability Skills. The Mayer Key Competencies are:

1. Collecting, organising and analysing information
2. Communicating ideas and information
3. Planning and organising activities
4. Working with others and in teams
5. Using mathematical ideas and techniques
6. Solving problems
7. Using technology

Key Competencies for each unit of competency can be found at the end of each Unit of Competency. They are assigned a level of 1, 2 or 3:

• Level 1 – perform
• Level 2 – administer and manage
• Level 3 – design and evaluate

In delivering and assessing training it is essential to integrate the Key Competencies.

Key Competencies may be incorporated by having applicants work as part of a team in the planning, preparing and presenting of a project. Key Competencies emphasised through this activity will be Planning and organising activities and Working with others and in teams.

Employability Skills are based on the Meyer Key Competencies, but have an expanded emphasis in training and assessment.

A recent report commissioned by DEST has identified the following employability skills:

• communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers;
• teamwork skills that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes;
• problem-solving skills that contribute to productive outcomes;
• initiative and enterprise skills that contribute to innovative outcomes;
• planning and organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic planning;
• self-management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth;
• learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes; and
• Technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks.

DEST has funded Industry Skills Councils to review all Training Packages, and to make modifications to competency standards to accurately reflect industry requirements. From 2006, these modifications will be progressively released in reviewed Training Packages and will replace the current Key Competency Framework.

Employability skills represent an opportunity to improve learning and assessment approaches and VET practitioners will have flexibility in how competency standards are used to meet the employability skills needs of industry and learners.