National occupational standards finalized and accessible by Internet (December 23, 2004)

National Occupational Standards for the Canadian plastics processing industry are now accessible for the first time due to the efforts of the Canadian Plastics Sector Council (Ottawa). Employers, employees and trainers can all benefit from these user-friendly standards, which cover occupations in injection molding, film and profile extrusion, blow molding and fabrication.
The standards have been in development for two years, and were developed with input from plastics firms, training institutions, labor unions, associations and workers in the plastics industry.
National Occupational Standards (NOS) outline what a skilled worker does in his/her job. They describe skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to perform job functions properly. The value of NOS lies in their capacity to provide an objective target to aim for, and a basis for measuring performance.
For employees, NOS can help generate a career path and contribute to self-assessment. Employers can use NOS to develop job descriptions and assist in recruitment.
To check out the standards, go to http://www.cpsc-ccsp.ca/ and click on "Occupational Standards".
The Canadian Plastics Sector Council (CPSC) is a national not-for-profit association created to explore and address emerging human resources issues in the plastics processing industry. Established through the Sectoral Partnerships Initiative program of Human Resources Skills Development (formally Human Resources Development Canada), the Council is a partnership of employers and employees in the industry.