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The purpose of this research paper is to describe the results and implications of the training professionals' competencies in the hospitality industry in the USA.

A qualitative implicit method, in‐depth interviews using pictures were conducted with ten training professionals, where metaphors were widely used and links between concepts were identified. The qualitative software Atlas ti was used in creating a consensus map: a display showing the required competencies of training professionals in hospitality.

The training competencies that resulted from the current study are imperative for the effectiveness of training and development such as teamwork, inspiration‐motivation, creativity, mentoring, keeping current, proactiveness, active listening, staying healthy, training measurement, consistency, and love and passion for the profession.

In‐depth interviews using pictures is an implicit research technique that attempts to reveal the unconscious thoughts and opinions of training professionals. The study took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, a unique tourist destination, and the interviewees were employed by large hotel‐casino corporations. Future studies need to research different sizes of hospitality institutions and different tourist destinations.

Human resources management can use the outcome of the study as a guide for compiling competency‐based job analyses for training positions, and consequently recruit and appraise training professionals based on these job specifications. Moreover, the outcome of the paper can be proven beneficial not only for hospitality executives, and future and current training professionals, but also for educators since training and teaching show‐case many similarities.

Improved and efficient training will result in lower employee turnover since employees will rate higher in job satisfaction and consequently that will result in better customer service and returning business for the company; a win‐win situation for all involved stakeholders in a hospitality company.

Both hospitality executives and future and current training professionals should find these research results most interesting as they reveal the necessary competencies that will enable them to best train and develop hospitality employees.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between pre-training competencies of apprentices and their productivity at the workplace.

For the analysis, the authors use firm-level data on apprentices’ oral and writing competencies and competencies in basic mathematics, information technology and problem solving. The authors regress the apprentices’ productivity on these school competencies and include a number of firm and apprentice-specific control variables. By reducing the authors’ data set to firms that only have one apprentice the authors transform the firm-level data into quasi individual-level data.

The main findings are that not all competencies are equally related to productivity. Problem-solving competencies followed by oral and writing competencies show the strongest relation to the productive potential of apprentices. IT competencies are also positively but weakly related to the apprentices’ productivity. In contrast, higher levels of basic mathematical competencies leave productivity levels largely unchanged. Differentiating between occupational groups, the authors find that the positive relation between the competencies and productivity predominantly exists in commercial occupations rather than in industrial and technical occupations.

The results show that better school competencies are associated with a higher productivity of apprentices, which in turn lowers the firms’ training costs. From a policy perspective, this finding is important because it implies that, by improving the apprentices’ competencies, the firms’ willingness to participate in the apprenticeship system can be increased. Moreover, the results are important for training firms because they show on which competencies firms should focus in their recruitment decision.

The paper studies for the first time the relation between pre-training competencies and productivity of apprentices at the working place. A practical implication from the authors’ analysis is that it could be useful to implement tools measuring the problem solving and oral and writing competencies of apprenticeship applicants in the process of recruitment.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the Albertina Sisulu Executive Leadership Programme in Health (ASELPH) in improving the competencies and performance of public healthcare managers in South Africa (SA).

This study used a quasi-experimental study design, with pre-post assessments to assess the performance and competencies of students participating in a public health leadership programme. Students were assessed using a 360° assessment of 14 competencies and 56 performance indicators.

Students improved significantly in 11 competencies and 44 performance indicators; they perceived improvements in their own performance. The assessors observed the same improvements, which confirmed performance change at the students’ workplaces. The study showed the positive effect of the ASELPH Fellowship in improving the competencies and performance of public healthcare managers in SA.

The ASELPH Fellowship enhanced the leadership competencies and the performance of South African public healthcare managers. South African public healthcare managers face significant challenges and concerns have been raised regarding the competencies of healthcare managers to deal with these challenges. This study shows that leadership programmes can improve competencies and performance of managers to have an impact on the South African healthcare system

The Japanese have had a phenomenal impact on the world's market using 5 “S” and total quality management (TQM) philosophy. Though Indian companies also claim to follow these philosophies, however India has not been able to make substantial s in this regard. India has been ranked very low (India's rank has been 35 out of 59 economies) as per the IMD world competitiveness year book 2012 report. During a literature survey, it was found that competency-based training contributes to a greater extent for the success of 5 “S” and TQM implementation. Therefore, research was undertaken to study the effect of competency-based training on the implementation of 5 “S” and TQM principles. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper attempts to assess and compare the role of competency-based training on the status of 5 “S” and TQM in Mayur Uniquoters Ltd (MUL) and SKH Metals Ltd. This paper compiles a list of the most important competency variables and prepares a competency training module for the industries. Quality award models will be used to compute a competency index, 5 “S” index, and TQM index before and after competency-based training in MUL. However, in the case of SKH Metals Ltd, the competency index, 5 “S” index and TQM index will be analyzed only after competency-based training. The index methodology has been used to assess and compare the level of performance in competency, 5 “S”, and TQM and the result will be validated through a two-sample t-test.

The paper reveals that competency-based training has a positive correlation on, 5 “S” and TQM, and is instrumental in improving the level of 5 “S” and TQM in both industries. Based on a two-sample t-test, the performance of 5 “S” and TQM improved by 74.4 and 84.5 percent, respectively, in case of MUL. This paper also prepares the competency-based training module.

The investigation and research findings are still exploratory. Future research can focus on and establish the correlation based on a larger number of organizations. A broadly based and larger sample size would provide a better picture of the relationship between competency, 5 “S” and TQM philosophy. The data have been collected before and after competency-based training in Mayur Uniquoters, whereas, in the case of SKH Metals, the data have been compiled only after competency-based training.

The study has been able to compile competency variables based on the feedback of 84 industries and also prepares a competency training module. Competency index, 5 “S” index and TQM index have been analyzed before and after competency-based training in MUL and two-sample t-test was also performed. In the case of SKH Metals Ltd, the data have been analyzed after competency-based training. The study has been able to identify that both organizations could perform better in 5 “S” and TQM after competency-based training. India stands a better chance in improving its competitiveness in the world ranking if all organizations focus on competency-based training, apart from training on 5 “S” and TQM.

This study aims to explore whether the cultural competency training in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services is sufficient to equip Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP) to support Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) service users.

A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews with six PWP participants. Reflexive thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step process was used in data analysis.

Three themes revealed evaluations of PWP training, factors supporting PWPs’ cultural competency and points of improvement for PWP training. The training briefly and superficially covered cultural competency content; however, it encouraged PWPs to explore potential personal and cultural biases in therapy. PWP training can also be improved by providing more culturally relevant resources and involving BAME service users.

A small sample size (N = 6) was used, impacting the findings’ generalizability.

PWP training does not sufficiently equip PWPs to support BAME service users. PWPs’ reflection of their own ethnic identity and personal experiences, when combined with training, can improve cultural competency. IAPT training should focus on cultural awareness, knowledge and skills to enhance therapeutic experience. Moreover, PWPs should reflect on their identity, personal biases and experiences when working with diverse communities.

This is one of the few qualitative studies evaluating the cultural competencies of PWPs in IAPT.

The purpose of this study is to account for gender gaps owing to a lack of education and training. Gender gaps pervade human activity. But little is known about forces reshaping gaps across career phases, from education to running a business. Such gaps may accumulate over one’s entrepreneurial career and widen or narrow due both to environmental forces that reconfigure the gap across career phases and to the gendering of competencies and benefits from education and training.

A representative sample of 110,689 adults around the world was surveyed in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Gender-related effects were ascertained by odds ratios estimated by hierarchical modelling, controlling for country and attributes of individuals.

Education and entrepreneurial training, both during and after formal schooling, are highly beneficial in developing competencies and during career phases – i.e. intending to start a business, starting a business, and running a business. Early gaps in human capital are reproduced as gaps in careers, and continuous disadvantages in the environment repeatedly widen gaps throughout a person’s entrepreneurial career. That said, gender gaps are reduced slightly over time as women gain greater benefit from training than men.

The cumulative effects of early gender gaps in education and training call for research on gendered learning, and recurrent gender effects across career phases call for research on gendering in micro-level contexts such as networks and macro-level contexts such as institutions.

Understanding the gendering of human capital and careers has implications for policy and education aimed at developing human resources, especially for mobilising women. The finding that women gain greater benefit than men from training is informative for policies that foster gender equality and empower women pursuing careers.

Conceptualising the entrepreneurial career as a sequence of several stages enables the assessment of gender gaps owing to initial disadvantages in education and to recurrent disadvantages on the career path.

National training packages have become the mandated framework for course delivery in Australia’s vocational education and training sector. Each training package contains: qualifications that can be issued, industry‐derived competencies, and assessment guidelines but do not contain an endorsed curriculum component or learning outcomes. All public and private vocational education and training providers must use training packages, or industry‐endorsed competencies in cases where they do not exist, if they are to receive public funding for their programs. This article describes the operation of Australia’s national training packages and considers some of their strengths and weaknesses, many of which may be shared by similar systems elsewhere. Argues that training packages may result in poorer student learning outcomes, and that they may threaten the end of effective credit transfer between the vocational education and training and higher education sectors. Suggests that national training packages are not a good model for other countries and that Australia’s current vocational education and training policy needs to be reviewed.

Currently, there is widespread consensus that training is helpful to the long-term success of business competitive advantages. However, youth continue to invest in various self-employment business options with low quality of short term trainings. The purpose of this study was to understand the competency level, training need and the role of training to business survival.

This study examined the training needs of youth engaged in self-employment and validated its role in sustainable business performance using primary data. To determine training needs, data were analysed using effect size, and probit model was used to understand the predictive validity of training gap to business performance.

This study has strong evidence that youth engaged in self-employment career have low entrepreneurial competency. The findings of this study revealed that there was little effort to narrow skill and knowledge gaps of youth before entry into self-employment. Training deficiencies were reported in business planning, confidence, risk and time management, conflict management, and communications skills. In addition, self-employment business options were starting up their function with insufficient entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. This would have limited businesses' better chance of long-run survival. Training should be given to bridge the knowledge and skill gaps of youth to ensure the long-term survival of their business. Recommendations include: government should allocate budget for youth short term training, relevant stakeholders should also create access to training for youths before and after entry into self-employment.

Small businesses, during start up with sufficient knowledge and skills, have a better chance of long-term survival. Therefore, this study calls for organized training that would be given to youth to bridge their knowledge and skill gaps on certain competency items and to ensure the long-term survival of micro and small enterprises. Relevant stakeholders should also deliberately create access to training for youth before and after entry into self-employment.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to provide empirical evidence of measurement of training gap and its effects of training on small business performance. Understanding role of training gap in business performance requires measurement of level of competency and training need in operating self-employment schemes. Validating consequence of level of training needs towards business performance of youth is essential to understand the contribution of skill training in the promotion of self-employment. The predictive validity of training need to business performance enhances our knowledge of the importance of training for small enterprise development. Previous studies focus on real training and its quality, however, fails to link youth self-employment initiatives. The finding of this study provides important insights on how strong skill training is important in supporting long term survival of youth self-employment.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the contradictions in the current maritime education and training system (MET), which is based on competency‐based education, training and assessment, and to theorize the failure to make the training useful.

A case study of education and training in the international maritime domain was conducted. Data sources include historical documents, rules and regulations concerning MET, syllabi, handouts, sample questions, field notes, an ethnographic study in a maritime college and interviews conducted with experienced mariners and course lecturer.

There are contradictions in the education and training system that do not allow the targeted objectives to be fulfilled. Fundamentally, the assessment system has changed the objectives of the education and training practices from learning skills and knowledge required on‐board ships to passing competency examinations.

The practical implication of this research is valuable for the International Maritime Organization, marine administration and maritime training institutes to think over the competency‐based system in practice today and how to improve the present maritime training and assessment system in order to achieve its authentic objectives.

This research identified and bridged the gap in literature and research of competency‐based training and assessment in the maritime domain and provides practical solutions for improving this system.

This paper aims to explore the definitions of and the differences between education and training and the role of each in nurturing and supporting lifelong learning for records professionals: records managers and archivists.

General definitions of “education”, “training”, “competence” and “competencies” have been deliberately selected as an accessible starting‐point for reflection. Different models for competencies and the lack of consensus on what constitutes an appropriate competency model for the profession are considered.

Education provides new professionals with knowledge of theory of the discipline and helps them to explore current practice. It provides the information‐seeking skills and encourages a reflective habit that underpins independent lifelong learning. Training focuses on acquisition of specific skills and competencies necessary in the workplace. More is needed for a viable professional future; education for research is essential to the development of professional knowledge and for the survival of education programmes in universities.

Professional associations as leaders of opinion and practice have an important role in finding the way forward. Although competency standards are more appropriate for evaluating training programmes, professional associations which have embraced competency standards have attempted to use them to evaluate education programmes, but prefer not to consider evaluating training programmes and training providers.

This paper aims to raise awareness of the need to give appropriate weight to education, training and research to ensure that records professionals are known for high levels of competence as well as productive reflection and creative forward thinking.