Professional standards - a topic that has recently attracted increasing interest from employers. This can be explained by the fact that in the current economic conditions there is a continuing trend of integration of all processes related to the labor market.
With the free movement of services and goods, capital and labor, as well as high competition, manufacturers need to train highly qualified employees. Moreover, it is important that the employee possesses not only a very broad competence. It also requires the ability to independently make the necessary decisions. This issue acquired particular relevance with the advent of Western companies on our market. And today, the requirements for the qualifications of workers are increasingly approaching those in foreign business. This is due to the widespread introduction of computer technology, with changes in technological processes, as well as with the informatization of control functions.
In order to understand what the level of knowledge and qualifications of an employee should be, federal professional standards are being developed.
Definition of a concept
What does the term “professional standards” mean? These are such regulatory documents that contain a detailed description (description) of the measured requirements for the quality and results of employee functions.
The need for the development and further introduction of occupational standards is described in Decree of the President of Russia dated 07.05.2012 No. 597 “On measures for the implementation of state social policy”. The newly adopted normative documents in comparison with ETKS and TSA are a new form of assessment of qualifications of employees. In addition, previously approved directories begin to gradually become obsolete. They do not have many new professions or their description does not correspond to the existing reality.
Scope of application
Professional standards are required for:
- the formation of national qualification levels;
- development of a mechanism for assessing graduates of a vocational education system;
- ensuring high quality of work performed on the basis of certain requirements for the functions performed by the employee;
- the formation of standards for educational modular programs in the system of training qualified personnel.
Regulatory documents on the assessment of employee qualifications allow organizations to properly develop a personnel policy, while organizing certification and training of their employees. In addition, professional standards are used in tariffing work and defining pay systems. These regulatory documents are required by educational institutions. They use one or another state professional standard when drawing up the corresponding training program.
Development of new documents
The procedure for passing professional standards from their creation to implementation is established by the Government of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Labor approves these documents. Professional standards then constitute regulatory legal acts. Information on their approval is entered in a special register established by the Ministry of Labor.
Today, there are already professional standards in education, healthcare, culture and art. They are available in the sports sector, in administrative and office activities. 12/22/2014, the next Order of the Ministry of Labor was signed for No. 1061-n. A professional standard for accounting employees was secured by this document. There are other Orders of this department relating to labor personnel in the sphere of finance and economics.
PS developers track:
- changes regarding the requirements for employees, focusing on certain qualities, such as focus on self-improvement and continuous training, innovativeness and adaptability;
- world achievements in the field of PS development;
- the latest criteria in the formulation of requirements PS.
Development methodology
How is the standard of professional activity born? The basis of its development is the methodology of functional analysis. She replaced the previously used job descriptions of a specialist.
The method used in previous years is now considered obsolete, as it is not able to feel the dynamics of the modern development of the social sphere, economy, and the accelerated pace of current production.
Functional analysis is used in almost all countries with a high level of economic development, as it takes into account not only the current requirements of the most advanced companies, but also international prospects, needs and trends.
When using this technique, the description of the professional activity of the employee is superimposed on the list of requirements for him.
PS structure
All professional standards of workers consist of certain sections, each of which is related to their labor function and skill level. In the structure of the PS there are also requirements that are presented to a particular official unit.
The sections of professional standards clearly describe such parameters as:
- the name of the labor duties of the PS unit;
- actions required to perform job descriptions;
- qualification level characteristics.
The requirements of professional standards are presented to the required level of knowledge of the employee. They also concern his degree of responsibility and independence.
All PS requirements for knowledge and skills of labor personnel cover three competence groups. Among them:
- professional, which are directly related to the duties performed ;
- overprofessional, related to the protection of the environment and labor, improvement of the workplace and the working environment, as well as to communication in the team;
- the key competencies that an employee must have in relation to all types of activities performed by him, implying the ability to obtain new knowledge and apply already obtained in a changing situation.
Such a structure allows the use of professional standards in education in the preparation of curricula. Thanks to this, specialists graduating from the institutions of this system master the functions necessary for further activities.
The legislatively approved professional standard includes:
- job description;
- Applicable job titles
- educational requirements;
- criteria for work experience.
How are PS developed?
The procedure, according to which professional standards of employees are created, contains the identification of those functional responsibilities that are necessary for a particular field of activity. However, the goal is not to describe the person performing them. In this regard, the starting point in the formation of a professional standard is the analysis of the relevant labor activity. To compile it, a large number of respondents who are employees of the industry in question are surveyed. At the same time, labor functions are identified, and quality requirements for their implementation are also determined. The data that are obtained during the survey, and allow us to highlight the most significant criteria for the employee, as well as the necessary level of his qualifications.
PS development stages
Professional standards approved by the Ministry of Labor, in the process of its creation passed a number of certain stages. At the first of them, an Expert Group was created, consisting of representatives of a particular industry. Then, the main list of functions performed by the employee was formed, and a list of skills, knowledge and key competencies needed for the further survey was developed. After that, a survey was conducted of leading specialists and managers of enterprises of the relevant industry and the processing of the data obtained. Drawing up professional standards also included:
- organization and conduct of a survey at enterprises;
- generalization of the data obtained;
- drafting of the PS and its discussion in the professional community;
- finalization of the compiled document, its approval and submission to the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation.
Only after that did the Order “On the Approval of a Professional Standard” be issued in a particular field of activity.
Practical application of PS
Who needs professional standards and why? These regulatory documents are used:
- the employer in formulating requirements for employees;
- a system of vocational education in the development of educational programs and standards that fully comply with current requirements on the labor market;
- employees to assess the compliance of their competencies with the requirements of modern production.
The development of PS will make it possible to compile the latest classifier of professions that exists in a specific area of economic activity. This is relevant in the modern world, where there is a constant refinement of the content of the duties performed by an employee.
Why else do you need a professional standard? Based on this normative document, a specialist in a particular field of activity can control and improve the necessary level of quality of the work performed by him.
The PS approved by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation is a professional minimum. All managers, specialists and employees must comply with it. In addition, PS can be taken as a basis for creating the job responsibilities of the enterprise and corporate standards. At the same time, the refinement or expansion of the functions of certain workers is likely to take into account the nuances in the organization of management and labor.
Also, the requirements that are imposed by the PS apply when creating educational programs and standards. This allows educational institutions to release a specialist who is competitive in the labor market. It is believed that the development of uniform requirements for professional activities in a particular industry will create a system of continuing professional education and evaluate all its forms and types.
Beginning of the action of the PS
On July 1, 2016, amendments to the Labor Code came into force, which were provided for by Federal Law No. 122- dated May 2, 2015. Innovations in the legislation affected professional standards of workers. Since July 1, 2016, these regulatory documents have become mandatory for application by municipal and state organizations, as well as by those enterprises in which the majority stake is owned by the Russian Federation, its constituent entity or municipality. Today we have more than 800 approved substations. If one or another organization from the above list does not apply these normative acts, then its head may be subject to administrative sanctions in accordance with Art. 5.27 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.
The government plans provide for a complete replacement of the current Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory of jobs and occupations of workers, as well as the Unified Qualification Directory of positions of managers, specialists and employees. They will be replaced by professional standards approved by legislative acts. However, it should be borne in mind that the use of professional standards alone is the prospect of a sufficiently long time period.
How can I get acquainted with the content of the approved PS? To do this, just go to the website of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation and open the Register of Professional Standards, which is maintained on this resource. In addition, already approved PS can be found on the pages of various reference legal information systems.
Obligation to use PS
Article 195-3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation was amended at the legislative level. It provides for the application of occupational standards only in situations where the requirements for the qualifications of an employee are contained in certain legal acts. Otherwise, the description of the employee’s knowledge and skills available in the PS is advisory in nature and is used by the manager only as a basis for drawing up job descriptions for his work team.
The legislation does not give recommendations on how the employer should implement professional standards in his enterprise. That is why the procedure for using PS is decided by the administration or individual entrepreneur independently. For example, for starters, a working group can be created, the members of which will check the compliance of workers with approved PS. Based on the results obtained, one or another decision of the head will be made.
In enterprises, there may be cases when the level of education of the employee will not meet the requirements of the adopted PS. What to do with this? The employer has no right to dismiss an employee on this basis, since this does not comply with the terms of the Labor Code. The administration of the enterprise can only conduct certification of its staff. If the commission determines the discrepancy of the employee of the position, then only then the employer will have a reason for his dismissal. The administration of the enterprise is also entitled to offer the employee a transfer to another position corresponding to his qualifications.
PS update
Additions and changes to professional standards approved by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation will be carried out taking into account the proposals put forward by the National Council under the President of the Russian Federation for professional qualifications. At the same time, priority directions of economic development will be taken into account. The need for updating the PS will be determined according to the information contained in the Directory of promising and new professions in demand in the labor market.
Drafts of newly created standards can be submitted to the Russian Ministry of Labor for consideration by various organizations. In this case, changes to the PS will be made in the same manner as in any other regulatory acts. This will require reasonable proposals or relevant amendments to the laws of the Russian Federation.
Conclusion
Today , professional standards are more and more used in the activities of organizations. It is expected that in the near future, without PS, employers will not be able to build their personnel policy. Consequently, the newly created legislative acts must be gradually studied in order to correctly use them in the preparation of employment contracts, job descriptions and local regulatory documents.