Print and paper industries to benefit from online skills profiling tool

Proskills, the UK sector skills council for the process and manufacturing sector, which includes the print and paper industries, has launched ProFile, a functionally rich yet simple to use web-based tool to enable employers to assess skills competencies, identify skills gaps and manage the training and development requirements of its workforce. Uniquely based on both generic and industry-specific National Occupational Standards (NOS), ProFile enables employers to build a nationally recognized set of skills competencies which can be linked directly to individual jobs and tasks within their company.

Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills UK, said: ‘Although research has proved that a skilled workforce is a productive one, up until now, it has been difficult for employers to easily review the skills of its employees against a national set of criteria. For the first time, ProFile enables employers to objectively benchmark the skills of its workforce against a nationally recognized set of competencies, and provide the facility for line managers and their employees to work interactively to agree, prioritize and manage a clear and accountable skills development program linked to national accreditation.’

ProFile puts employers in control of monitoring, specifying and prioritizing the training requirements of its employees, while equally engaging the individual employee to take a proactive role in their own development. Its vast range of functions include assessing and endorsing an individual’s current job related skills against a criteria of national industry-specific and company related competencies; creating Personal Development Plans (PDPs); setting and monitoring job related targets, as well as generating hard copy reports of qualifications and skills competencies and achievements.

ProFile can be broadly divided into three functional areas, including System Administration, which allows employers to set up their teams and team members to suit their organization’s structure and lines of reporting; Team Manager, which allows team managers to manage their own skills and development as well as that of their team members; and Team Member, which allows individuals in conjunction with their team manager to assess their skills and personal development against their current roles.

Future development plans for ProFile include the facility to review other suitable job roles within the company’s job library, enabling team members and their managers to identify the additional skills and training needed as part of their personal development to advance their career and support succession planning across a business. Additional enhancements planned include direct links from ProFile to a database of searchable national and regional training provision.

Alison Bucknell is the project manager for ProFile at Proskills, and has worked alongside many employers in its development. ‘ProFile makes the process of assessing individual performance, and their achievements a much more objective and accurate process,’ she said. ‘Team Managers can become real catalysts for change, and by drawing on the national and company-specific competency data within ProFile, they can easily identify skills gaps and drive skills development within their organization using a much more targeted and impartial process. Furthermore, it provides a “common currency” whereby employers can discuss their specific requirements with training Providers using a “skills language” which Providers understand.’

For further information contact Alison Bucknell at alison.bucknell@proskills.co.uk

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