The process of training and development of human potential involves learning, the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities. Sánchez (2005) considers that aspects such as:
- The training policy, understood as a variable of the organizational culture and the strategic direction of the business. The understanding that training as a process must be planned, and that it must generate continuity in it. It is oriented towards the development of skills and knowledge. clearly defined, which have an impact on the worker and therefore on the organization. It generates specific development processes and the consequent monitoring of the parties involved in it.
The importance of training for companies in order to achieve the condition of competitiveness and the need to generate learning to train and develop human potential capacities, has conditioned the proposal of various approaches and procedures for their management. Authors consulted such as Hinrish (1976) and Buckley and Caple, (1991) conceive a systemic model, although the first does not speak of a needs assessment and both do not mention the estimation of necessary resources. Others such as Bentley (1993), García, (1995) and Sarduy (2004) define strategic management models, however they do not refer to the methods and objectives of the training actions and only Bentley (1993) mentions the estimation of resources.Marrero (2002) proposes a more general procedure for the management of training in tourist facilities but with the same shortcomings. Sastre and Pastor (2003), unlike the previous ones, speak of training methods but in the same way, they do not refer to the analysis of the precise resources. It seems to us that among the procedures studied the most complete are those of Rodríguez and Ramírez-Buendía (1991); Pinto (1997); Del Pozo, (1997) and Reza (2001) who take into account the analysis of training needs, planning, identifying the necessary resources and evaluation.It seems to us that among the procedures studied the most complete are those of Rodríguez and Ramírez-Buendía (1991); Pinto (1997); Del Pozo, (1997) and Reza (2001) who take into account the analysis of training needs, planning, identifying the necessary resources and evaluation.It seems to us that among the procedures studied the most complete are those of Rodríguez and Ramírez-Buendía (1991); Pinto (1997); Del Pozo, (1997) and Reza (2001) who take into account the analysis of training needs, planning, identifying the necessary resources and evaluation.
These approaches correspond to the basic procedure for the formation of human potential represented in small variations according to each author, however these are more of presentation than of substance. The steps to follow are summarized in the detection of training needs, the use of study programs designed based on the information collected, the execution of the training action and the evaluation of the training. In agreement with these authors, these steps are recognized as essential for a training procedure. Despite not being mentioned by all the authors, we consider it important to take into account elements such as the allocation of resources and the definition of the type and method of training.
These procedures, by not taking into account labor competencies, are part of the traditional training model, which focuses on the idea of the job, highlights the tasks and functions that must be carried out in said position, being only important that the personnel fulfill these tasks and functions. It is developed in a systematic way based on the needs assessment and then carry out a training program. According to Vargas (2000), this type of training only seeks the combination of knowledge, abilities and skills for the performance of the position.
The competencies model, on the other hand, focuses on the idea of occupation instead of job, understood according to Levy-Leboyer (1997) as an "aggregate of competencies with values and meanings in employment", that is, that is describe the characteristics that can be transferred to various jobs or positions. It focuses on the person rather than the position. McClelland (1973) pointed out the value of competency-based versus intelligence-based examinations, and his findings were applied to managerial skills development and selection practices. Gilbert (1978) placed this concept in a broader framework of performance improvement in the social, organizational and individual domains.
Several authors, such as Zemke (1982) and Dubois (1993), applied the concept of competence to education and training. Some professional associations developed competency profiles for professional licensing and for self-assessment and development, and government agencies did the same, for example for teachers to use the profiles in assessments and examinations. Prahalad and Hamel (1990) were largely responsible for the success of introducing the concept of core competency in corporate strategy. By focusing on core competencies that could be used in guiding processes, the concept was attractive. This approach was later applied to develop competency management systems, which, organized in the form of vocabularies,They made it possible to transparently reflect expectations and processes. In addition to these applications, the concept was widely used in the development of competency-based vocational training programs.
According to Cuesta (2002):
Modern organizations are in the best position to realize what until a few years ago could have been a chimera: that their investments in training are applied where they are really needed, with methodologies and resources of incredible effectiveness. We are talking about the open possibility of carrying out timely and pertinent training actions, just-in-time training, stored electronically awaiting the interested apprentice, who can access it, leave it at any time and in any place -including his own job., retake it and self-evaluate to the point that their mastery is demonstrable to third parties who will only "certify" their competence in the chosen subject.
We live in a time of increasingly important and complex transformations, to which it is necessary to adapt more and more quickly. Change, paradoxically, has become a constant in our society. In this context of mutations, and in order to seek greater adaptation and development of people, training based on competence arises. This training modality or educational approach is a way of responding to the personal, social, professional, cultural needs… posed by today's society. With this new training approach, an evolution in the traditional approach is intended, that is, from a training focused on teaching to a training focused on learning (Villa and Poblete (2007)).
Today in training processes, what makes the subject competent is not how much technology and information are available to him, but what skills he has to adapt to changes, be purposeful, flexible and innovative, and interact with technology and information but through of methods that allow its productive use, this constitutes the success of any undertaking.
From the perspective of competence-based training:
A traditional curriculum is focused on content and one based on competencies instead, on performance indicators. For the first, the teaching times are fixed and for the second they are variable since the personal rhythm of learning is taken into account, that is, focused on individual needs.
After the analysis of competences and the diagnosis of training needs, training based on competence is usually articulated through the association between competence units and training modules, one of which may give rise to several of these. The concept of unit of competence implies a meaningful labor result, in the curricular design the module must have meaning in itself and the possibility of associating with others in the configuration of a curricular itinerary.
The competence-based training module includes a multidisciplinary structure of teaching-learning activities that responds to a conception of competence that integrates knowledge, abilities, skills, attitudes and emotions. Part of the description of a competence standard and more specifically of the performance criteria and the evidence of knowledge and understanding associated with them. It involves theoretical and practical knowledge, organization and social interaction and management of emotional intelligence (Bisquerra, 2002).
From this conception, the competence-based training module is considered as a learning unit that allows structuring objectives, contents and activities around a problem of professional practice and the capacities that are intended to be developed, inferred from the established competencies. In general, although not necessarily, its content consists of explicit and codified knowledge, supported predominantly by paradigms and canons of science and technology.
In turn, modular organization implies the existence of various modules, which can be hierarchical among themselves - from general to specific, from theoretical and conceptual to applied - or not present a relationship of mutual dependence.
This type of didactic organization tries to facilitate learning aimed at the acquisition of one or several previously identified competences, which allow the learner to have the bases to successfully perform a function or to show certain behaviors in specific contexts. At the same time, it helps to manage learning in such a way that people can be placed in different learning trajectories, facilitating entries and exits throughout life and enabling accreditation within a curricular plan. To achieve the changes associated with competence-based training, it is necessary to maximize an autonomous and meaningful learning model, through didactic strategies oriented more to the development of skills and attitudes than to the mastery of knowledge.
Evaluation is another of the key elements of the training process due to the consequences and implications it has for the student, the teacher, the educational system and society. If evaluation is one of the most complicated phases of any teaching-learning process, it is more difficult for training based on competence, due to its definition and characteristics.
S. Tobón (2006) defines competence assessment as the process by which it seeks to determine the level of mastery of a competence based on agreed criteria and evidence to establish achievements and aspects to improve, seeking that the person has the right challenge of continuous improvement, through metacognition.
As Race (2003) points out, employers also expect their workers - and sometimes mainly - to be able to work together, lead a group, communicate, think creatively, engage socially, be self-motivated, etc. Therefore, they would like the grades on the graduate's transcript to reflect their level of achievement in all these aspects in an integrated way.
Under the new paradigm, evaluation must assume more functions, greater depth and greater coverage. Summative and final assessment activities should be complemented by formative and ongoing assessment activities. The focus on student learning involves integrating evaluation activities into this learning, providing the student with the necessary and continuous feedback on their achievements and difficulties. Likewise, continuous assessment throughout the course guides the student in their strategic decisions about what to learn and how to learn it. It also has a motivating function, reinforcing a sustained effort by achieving successive upcoming goals.The continuous and formative assessment also guides the teacher on the strengths and weaknesses of their performance, allowing them to reorient teaching quickly and effectively.
Taking into account the competence approach, the evaluation according to Tobon, Rial and Carretero (2006) is characterized by the following:
- It is a dynamic and multidimensional process;
- It takes into account the learning process and outcome
- Provides quantitative and qualitative feedback results
- Serve an ethical life project
- Recognizes all the potential of the student
- It is based on objective criteria and consensual evidence.
Table 1 Comparison between traditional assessment and competence- based assessment
McDonald (1995) considers that a competency-based assessment approach is highly appropriate in vocational training, since it allows:
- Ensure that teaching and assessment are serving the expected outcomes, rather than the courses developed or the time spent Facilitate the granting of credit for competencies acquired elsewhere Helping students clearly understand what is expected of them if they want to be successful in the course. Inform potential employers what a particular qualification means.
The importance of competency-based training is evident by comparing it with the traditional approach regarding various elements of the teaching-learning process, which implies a great transformation:
Table 2 Comparison between traditional training and skills-based training
In traditional education, the methodology is one of transmission-reception of knowledge, which basically requires the memorization of concepts, a strong emphasis on the application of memory in solving problems, and the performance of highly guided practical activities. The change in approach has occurred when going from training in theoretical knowledge to training in skills (Fernández, 2004), that is, in knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable us to develop a series of functions in specific contexts.
In the traditional model the teacher is the center of the process; he is the exclusive possessor and transmitter of knowledge, while the student has a passive role of simple receiver. In competency-based training, the teacher fulfills the role of guidance and mediator of learning, for this he designs educational experiences that involve the student and makes him participate actively in the teaching-learning process. Therefore, when choosing a specific teaching strategy or methodology, it is necessary to promote the one that allows this trend. It is about using those methodologies that ensure the most active participation possible on the part of the students-students-residents (Palés and Gual, 2004). The objective of competency-based training is for the student to achieve complex learning,that integrates knowing, knowing how to do, knowing how to be and knowing how to be. This set of knowledge and flavors, in the words of Echeverría (2002), integrate what we know as competence.
The great difference of the competency approach, with respect to the traditional, is that the competence does not come only from the approval of a curriculum based on cognitive objectives, but from the application of knowledge in practical circumstances. The teaching methodology of the competency-based curriculum is planned, it is made from a prospective diagnosis of the reality where the student will perform and particularly on the basis of the areas of performance, the functions and the tasks that determine their exercise professional.
Probably, the main characteristic of competency-based training is its orientation to practice, on the one hand, and the possibility of a quasi-natural insertion and continues in the productive life of the person. The fact that competence means solving a problem or achieving a result makes the curriculum an integral teaching, by mixing in the problem general knowledge, professional knowledge and work experience, areas that were traditionally separated (Gonczi and Athanasou, 1996).
The specialized literature on competences indicates that these are an approach to education and not a pedagogical model, since they do not pretend to be an ideal representation of the entire educational process, determining how said process should be, the curricular conception, the didactics and the type of strategies to implement. Competencies constitute the fundamental basis for guiding the curriculum, teaching, learning and evaluation from a quality framework, since it provides principles, indicators and tools to do so, like any other educational approach.
Competencies are an approach because they only focus on specific aspects of teaching, learning and evaluation, among which the following stand out (adapted from Tobón, 2006):
- The integration of knowledge, cognitive processes, skills, abilities, values and attitudes in the performance of activities and problems The construction of training programs in accordance with disciplinary, investigative, professional, social, environmental and labor requirements context, and the orientation of education through quality standards and indicators in all its processes.
Le Boterf (1993) points out that competency-based training means:
Cuban standard 3000 defines competency training as a teaching-learning process based on labor competencies, which facilitates the transmission of knowledge, values and the generation of skills, according to the work activities that are carried out, which is carried out in the participant the capacities to apply and mobilize them, in different contexts and in the solution of emergent situations.
The main characteristics of a competency training program according to Harris, et.al (1991) (ob.cit, Merters (1996) are:
- The competencies that students will have to fulfill are carefully identified, verified by experts and public knowledge. The evaluation criteria are derived from the analysis of competencies, their conditions explicitly specified and public knowledge. The instruction is directed to the development of each competence and an individual evaluation for each competency. The evaluation takes into account the knowledge, attitudes and performance of the competency as the main source of evidence. Students' progress in the program is at a rate determined by them and according to the competencies demonstrated. Instruction is individualized as much as possible. Learning experiences are guided by frequent feedback. Emphasis is placed on achieving concrete results.Instruction is done with didactic material that reflects real work situations and on-the-job experiences. The entire program is carefully planned and systematic evaluation is applied to continually improve the program. Frequent instruction in large groups should be avoided. should be less aimed at exposing issues and more on the learning process of individuals Facts, concepts, principles and other knowledge should be an integral part of tasks and functions Requires the participation of workers and the union in the strategy of training from the identification of competencies.The program as a whole is carefully planned and systematic evaluation is applied to continually improve the program. Frequent instruction in large groups should be avoided. Teaching should be less focused on exposing topics and more on the learning process of individuals. Facts, Concepts, principles and other types of knowledge must be an integral part of the tasks and functions. It requires the participation of workers and the union in the training strategy from the identification of competencies.The program as a whole is carefully planned and systematic evaluation is applied to continually improve the program. Frequent instruction in large groups should be avoided. Teaching should be less focused on exposing topics and more on the learning process of individuals. Facts, Concepts, principles and other types of knowledge must be an integral part of the tasks and functions. It requires the participation of workers and the union in the training strategy from the identification of competencies.It requires the participation of workers and the union in the training strategy from the identification of competencies.It requires the participation of workers and the union in the training strategy from the identification of competencies.
Such principles are shared by other authors such as Harper and Lynch (1992) who also consider that the content of the training actions must at all times be adapted to the recipient of the same and their needs in order to enhance the aspects that offer greater profitability and reduce costs. expenses that are not essential to the course of business.
One of the essential advantages of competency-based training is that the focus is placed on the successful execution of a relevant activity that adds value to the company's processes and that has been taken as the basis of the instructional design. From this perspective, the main advantages of the strategy are:
- Participants acquire the competencies required in the effective performance of their jobs Participants gain confidence as they are successful in mastering specific competencies Participants know exactly the competencies they need to develop Training time is used more efficiently and effectively since the instructor is a facilitator of learning as opposed to a simple provider of information. The greater proportion of time the instructor spends working individually with the participants, or in small groups, as opposed to conference-type presentations.
A significant part of the training is intended to assess each participant's ability to perform the essential skills of their job. Whereas there are a number of significant advantages to the competency-based training strategy, there are also some potential limitations. Before developing competency-based programs, it is important to consider these restrictions:
- Unless instructors are trained and supported on a regular basis to acquire the competencies that the competency-based training model requires, there will be a tendency to 'teach as we were taught' and they will quickly return to the role of the traditional teacher. A competency-based training program will only be effective when the process used to identify competencies has been sufficiently effective. If a careful competency analysis has not been performed, then the resulting training program will likely be highly ineffective. A program can be considered competency-based training, but unless the instructional materials and approaches (e.g., learning guides, checklists and tutorials) are designed to be used as part of the program,it is unlikely that the resulting course is truly competency-based training.
For training and development, it has traditionally been considered that its basic function is to plan and execute training programs, not related to the strategic plans of the business. However, from the perspective of competency management, this vision changes, since the company:
- Determines short, medium and long-term plans to reduce the gaps between the ideal and the real for the collaborators in office. Part of the results of the competency and performance evaluations. Design individual training plans according to the real needs of the collaborator. Defines training plans for the development of the “ Core Competencies ” (Potential Competencies).
At all times, what is sought is that the members of the organization acquire and improve the skills necessary to perform their job successfully.
It is important to note that training based on the competency management model involves three important aspects: Effective control, a part of the laboratory where theoretical tools are delivered to develop the necessary competencies and an evaluation in the workplace, where it will be measured the effectiveness of what has been learned.
