Occupational and skill standards serve a number of purposes. They are used by employers to select, evaluate, and train employees. They are tools for educators and providers of training to use in determining appropriate course content. Standards show employees and potential employees what skills employers are looking for and whether course content will cover the required skills. Standards are also the basis for certification. Certification and standards help identify career paths, attracting people to an industry or sector, and boost employee morale by providing professional credentials. National certification permits employee mobility and, when widely recognized, makes the selection process easier for employers.

Standards ease transition into the workforce. In the case of entry level positions, where skill requirements are minimal, short courses can provide them quickly. Where certification based on standards exists, credentials can be acquired quickly, facilitating entry into the workforce. Standards are also being used successfully in combination with government programs to subsidize wages while new employees undergo the required training for certification.

The present education-training system suffers from a lack of coordination. Instead of the current maze, we must establish a coherent system in which anyone can make linear progress in acquiring knowledge, rather than having to move backward before advancing, at a cost to the individual and society.

In our society, a diploma has become a credential that serves a purpose beyond affirming the abilities that can be expected in its holder. It has become a screening device in the hiring process, somewhat independent of the skills it is supposed to certify. Therefore, training must be standardized and guarantee that the trainee meets occupational standards.

To achieve coherence in the transition system, workers and employers should both have confidence that the training acquired in the transition process is relevant and accepted. We believe that each major stakeholder has a responsibility in the development of standards and in ensuring that standards are relevant and accepted by other stakeholders on a national basis.