To address the need for a steady supply of Skilled Labourers, the Government of Manitoba has implemented an initiative to develop a field test to assess a person’s overall suitability to work in the Construction industry. This field test reflects the provincial standards of this occupation and evaluates many aspects of the occupation including health and safety requirements, required tools and equipment. The field test is primarily a demonstration of the person’s knowledge, skills and attitudes when working in the industry as a skilled labourer.
Competency is defined as a person’s ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, judgments and attitudes required for a particular job. Assessment is the process of collecting evidence and making judgments on whether competency has been achieved. The purpose of this assessment is to confirm that an individual can perform the competencies expected of an entry-level skilled labourer; these competencies comply with the defined provincial standards.
Competency based assessment is not an isolated activity and usually form part of a pathway to a goal. Not all of the applicants will be successful; this ought not to be seen as a failure but as opportunities for further training or development. When assessments are undertaken in a fair and unbiased manner, there are very few instances when applicants fail completely. It is important that all applicants know in advance how this field assessment for an entry level skilled labourer is structured.
The goal of this field assessment is to gather sufficient, current and valid evidence of the applicant’s ability to perform to the competencies expected of an entry level Skilled Labourer. The process to conduct this field assessment in an ethical manner is as follows:
Review in detail the documentation supporting the field assessment. In each of the skill demonstration components, a minimum of 80% of the competencies described must be demonstrated by the applicant. At this standard, the person is deemed to be competent in the area.