CTHRC releases dispatcher occupational analysis

TORONTO (Sept. 17, 1999) — The Ottawa-based Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council used the PMTC annual general meeting in Toronto as the venue for officially releasing the first-ever national occupational analysis for the job of truck-fleet dispatcher.

“An occupational analysis describes the skills and knowledge needed to perform a job competently, and provides industry stakeholders with benchmarks against which an occupation and the proficiency of people in that occupation can be measured and assessed,” said PMTC president Bruce Richards, who was chair of the committee of volunteers who guided this project.

The contents of the Report on a National Occupational Analysis Validation and Essential Skills Profile provide occupational information gathered from people who practice and perform the relevant skills as part of their job, together with input from those who directly supervise them. The resulting analysis is gathered on a chart that provides a visual display of General Areas of Competence (GAC) that describe the major functions of the occupation and related skills, tasks, and necessary personal attributes. The ensuing Essential Skills Profile details the skills found to be necessary for this position, which include reading text; use of documents; numeracy; oral communication; thinking skills; working with others; computer use; and continuous learning.

“This publication is an excellent tool for trucking industry managers and human-resource professionals to use inside their own organization to enhance their human-resource practices,” Richards noted.

The 58-page analysis is available for sale by the CTHRC at $49.95 (plus GST) in either English or French. Contact Lynda Harvey, CTHRC, (613) 244-4800.