SKILLS GAP ANALYSIS (SGA)

Overview:
The basic building blocks of the system are:
- Positions (or Jobs),
- Employees,
- Skills (or Competencies),
and
- Proficiency Levels.

The SGA system uses these building blocks to build an equation as follows:
Position/Skills/Proficiency - vs - Employee/Skills/Proficiency = Skills Gap

To solve the "Skills Gap" you require:
- Vendors
- Learning Interventions
- Instructors
- Classes
- Locations and Rooms
and
- Employees who have Requested, are currently Planned/Scheduled for, and have Taken classes (courses) upgrading their skills.

You will also need to track the expense of closing the "Gap".

All of the above needs to be an iterative, evolving process that continually:
- feeds the results of training back into the skills inventory for an employee (ie: updates to skills and individual skill proficiencies);
- uses business requirements and changing needs to drive positions and position/skills updates (eg: moving from legacy to client-server);
- provides comparisons of the employee versus the position. These comparisons are fed to the manager and to the employee resulting in Skills Gap vs Training requirements and Career Planning;
and
- reflects changes in the future growth of the organization and perpetual growth of skills and proficiency in the employee.

Features:
The SKILLS GAP ANALYSIS (SGA) rises to the challenge of managing the "Skills Gap" by providing the following features:

The system is largely "table driven". By this we mean that you are able to modify and adjust entries in tables to suit your needs and your corporate methods. This flexibility allows you to use the system "your way".
The first table is where you set Proficiency Levels to reflect the corporations "terminology". A definition of that proficiency level is stored with each entry so that managers and employees know exactly what is required for each level of proficiency in a skill eg: Expert, Advanced, Intermediate and Introductory.

Stores as many skills grouped into categories as you wish or need for each of the professions used in your corporation.

NOTE: CAPSA has available, templates of skills by position for a number of professions. For each skill in the system, a definition is stored and can be changed or evolved as required.

Stores the individual positions within a corporation. It also keeps an inventory of where each job resides (within the establishment) and thus can produce an organization chart. The package is currently integrated with OrgPlus for Windows to create the actual Org Charts.

Textual job descriptions are also stored, massaged and printed as part of the definition of a job or position.
Uses skills/competencies and a required level of proficiency/expertise in that skill, to define each job description. Each skill for each job is defined as a 'Must have', 'Required' or 'Nice to have' skill. (NOTE: Must have = core competencies).

Stores a large amount of data about each employee - but allows each corporation to decide what data is important to them and needs to be kept up-to-date at all times. The system allows for five (5) levels of organization structure. The entire set of data about an employee is the basis for an entire HRIS system. Not all of it is required to be filled in for SGA.

Provides a "paper" based "Inventory Questionnaire" method of collecting both Position and Employee skills/proficiency levels.

Provides a "paper" based method of updating each inventory for individual positions/jobs and employees as often as each corporation needs or wants to have updates fed back into the system. This regular update is required since training does not automatically guarantee a corresponding improvement in an employees proficiency. Management must still contribute to the process of evaluation.

With the use of CAPSA's Automated Data Capture/Needs Analysis product, this capture of information is transformed from paper to LAN, DISKETTE or individual portable/desktop computer.

Allows for a "360 degree feedback" process where subordinates, peers and management assess the skills of an individual as well as that individual self-identifying. The combined assessment is averaged and becomes the basis for the individuals final skills inventory.

Allows for the "360 degree feedback" process to also be used for position/skills requirements to build a job/position profile.

Automated Data Capture (ADC) can also be used to capture this "360 degree feedback" data.
Compares the skills and proficiency levels required to perform effectively in a job/position versus the skills and proficiency levels an employee currently has. Can produce this in a detailed or summary report. The report provides feedback as to years of experience being met, proficiency matches and calculates the individual "skills Gap".

Compares an/any employee versus the next job up the ladder of success, or, any other job you/they feel they might be suitably qualified for (ie: career planning). It tracks an employees requests for career movement or advancements.

Compares an employee versus all jobs in the system, allowing you to better assess where they may be more utilized in the company rather than being down-sized,

Compares a job versus all employees, to assist you in identifying the best candidate for the job.

A skills gap number is generated which reflects the size of the gap between "job required" skills and "employee has" skills. This gap can also be amalgamated to provide departmental, divisional or corporate "Skills Gaps". The "Gap" is calculated for "Must Have", "Required" and "Nice to Have" categories. With this data available, you can focus in on the most critical "must have" skills first for your training plan.

SGA can interface with your corporations main-frame computer or other existing HRIS system by uploading employee data. If you don't have a centralized Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to access, CAPSA's Skills Management System (SGA) can assist. You can have/build a central HRIS, by entering all of your human resources data into our package. The central hub of employee data is very extensive and logically grouped into like categories for presentation on the screen. Utilizing additional HRIS modules from CAPSA, you can build up to a complete HRIS system including Applicant Tracking, Personnel Tracking , Time Sheets/Attendance and many others.

Another module of the SGA system, tracks corporate computer applications and which of these systems each employee is familiar with versus what each position/job requires them to know. This comes in very handy when staff are sick, on holidays or resign and you need an immediate replacement. It also identifies any outstanding needs for cross training.

NOTE: This tracking of applications can be expanded to include applications other than computer systems. For example: specific machinery, manufacturing lines, equipment or techniques, not just computer applications could be stored.

To solve the skills gap, the system identifies and tracks the vendors with approved courses and what classes are run for each skill over a period of time.

The system uses a Calendar to track the availability of instructors, classrooms and other facilities. In addition, projectors and other equipment can be tracked and scheduled.

Feedback from previous attendees with regards to instructors or courses can be entered to assist you in making future plans or decisions on what to offer. A simple survey system is an integrated part of the system.

You can add yourself to the vendor list and can track your own internal training capabilities. You can produce Training Catalogues and provide on-line access rather than printing and distributing hard copy.

Any "learning intervention" such as seminars, books, CBT, Videos can be tracked - not just classroom training.
One of the largest jobs for any training coordinator is to track the requests and needs for training versus the courses available to your company. The SGA system can track all previous Requested, Planned and Taken courses for each employee for as many years as you wish to keep this history.

You can query the system and identify if you have enough requests to run a course. As part of this information you can receive scheduled class lists, attendance records (who did and did not attend), as well as plan the actual course while comparing class availability versus the number of requests.

SGA's budget module tracks the actual expenditures versus budgeted plan by month. It provides last years actuals and a place for a revised "next years" plan. This can be summarized and reported by account, organizational structure (ie: Division, Department, Section, Unit) and individual employee.

For our Windows/Client server version, we do not try to introduce a new standard into your corporate world. We believe that your existing report writer of choice will access our data as you desire. If you wish, we will recommend a Report Generator to you.

You will have the entire user manual on-line for your use.
You can search through this manual for occurrences of a string or line of text instead of just accessing the table of contents.

You will have a intuitive, graphical way of choosing which parts of the manual you wish to print (if any). This method allows for the printing of as many chapters as you wish simultaneously.

multiple security levels - ie: users must be given one of the following:
- read only, or
- change but not access to "system tables" ie province, types of learning interventions etcetera or
access to all tables

in addition, users must be defined as:
- employee - only able to look at own records
- manager - where you work in the corporation defines what employee records are available to you
- "god" - able to look at all records

captures and stores multiple test scores - each student that takes each individual class is tracked for "Did they attend?", "Did they pass?" and "What mark did they achieve?". It also tracks the expense sheet.
the database is only limited by the size and speed of your server - several thousand students could be tracked quite easily.

enrolment system is built into the product -
you can track and/or have in the tables as many vendors as you wish (both external and internal)
for each vendor you can enter as many learning interventions as you wish (classroom, CBT, video, books, seminars all can be tracked)

each course has the ability to store the course outline and learning objectives plus the day-to-day schedule
if you are using the skills part of the system, each course can improve or upgrade multiple skills
each learning intervention can be presented many times in a year - each occurrence is a class and has a unique number assigned to it.

each class tracks start/end date, start/end time, location, room, re-training number of months( EG: CPR or First Aid), status (IE: active, on hold, cancelled)
each class tracks the number of students registered, compares it to the maximum allowed and the minimum required to attend

- scheduling of instructors, classes, rooms are all tracked using Calendar Creator Plus (CCPLUS). This is included with SGA as an integral part of the system. Calendar Creator Plus has the ability to store separate, individual schedules (for instructors for example) and then overlay some or all individual calendars to provide a corporate overview (ie: when is there an available date where no instructors are teaching etcetera)

- for each instructor a profile or resume can be entered and published.
- publishing of learning interventions (course calendars) is possible with SGA. CCPLUS can provide a wide variety of calendars from daily to monthly to semi-annual.
- the link to mainframes or other software packages is two way since SGA has both import and export capabilities. Export can be in spreadsheet, ASCII, comma delimited, Dbase or many other formats.
- account number, cost centre is assigned to individual employee or student / class records. Within a class of ten people, all ten can be assigned the same or different cost centre and the same or different account number.
- as an alternative to class level accounting, students/employees can be assigned to a 5 tier organization structure and have assigned to each entry a cost centre and account number and the percentage this particular organization entry will assume. IE: two entries can be made for one individual assigning 50% of the cost of learning interventions to different cost centres and/or accounts.
- internal billing is possible since the detailed records of what student is charged to which cost centre and account is built into the system.
- the system tracks all outstanding requests for a learning intervention (allows for review to ensure you have enough people to schedule a class).
- records and tracks each individual student that is scheduled into a class. To transfer from request to scheduled requires the entry of a class number into the record and the setting of a check box.
- tracks all students that have taken classes (simply set the check box to "Taken"). As part of this record, the expense sheet is tracked at a detailed level.
- bottom up budget exercise can be done ie: monthly budget for individual employees/students with roll-up to division, department or corporate totals.

CAPSA is prepared to add external billing with the ability to track multiple payments if this is required (CAPSA has already done this for the Red Cross in our DOS product). In addition, CAPSA is prepared to modify the system to track multiple sessions per learning intervention and for each session, track multiple instructors (including payments to instructors).

Benefits:
The benefits of the SGA system to any organization are:
- automated, electronic method of storing and managing:
    proficiency levels,
    skills,
    positions,
    employees,
    positions/skills,
    employees/skills
rather than using paper and card files. This reduces staff requirements for managing the process.

a variety of methods for validating employee/skills.

employee self identifies and the data is accepted at face value

the manager can validate the data and updates can be applied including identifying if the skill has been used on the job

"360 degree feedback" with calculated averages being produced for each skill for each employee
testing of the employees knowledge or proficiency - ADC can question/test knowledge, other products CAPSA sells would be used to test proficiency.

Choosing one or several of these methods ensures the accuracy of the data in the system and inspires employee confidence in the system, the process, and the corporation - resulting in a willingness to participate and cooperate.

a variety of methods for capturing and validating position/skills.

supervisor/manager identifies requirements and the data is accepted at face value

one or more employees can validate the data and updates can be applied

"360 degree feedback" with calculated averages being produced

CAPSA has products which can "test" for the required skills for a position. These are largely in the area of "Behavioural skills" rather than Technical and Soft skills.

an electronic method of comparing individual employees versus the position they hold - at a skill level (ie: the "Skills Gap") rather than relying on busy executives and managers and their "subjective" decisions. This comparison could be run by the employee themselves if so desired and would reduce friction and resentment of management in the career training/advancement process.

a method of providing accurate feedback at the skill level for career planning and position relocations as requested by employees.

a defensible methodology and process to objectively identify "skills gaps" thus reducing the emotional reactions of employees to skills deficiencies. Could be defended in court if necessary.

Utilizing the data stored for each position can lead to a defensible method of evaluating jobs or positions and comparing one to another.

an electronic method of identifying the matrix of skills currently available in the corporation versus the required matrix. In addition, new anticipated positions could be entered with their skill requirements, updating the matrix - which would allow for forward planning and identification of anticipated hiring and/or training requirements to meet new business initiatives or requirements and allow a corporation to attain a competitive edge.
Management can more easily and effectively evaluate an employee's performance within the corporation based on skill level and they could pro-actively plan to increase the skill levels in individuals, divisions/departments or the corporation as a whole. Performance appraisals can include skills reviews and training plans or be held as a separate meeting.

Since the system tracks costs at a detailed level, it is possible to clearly identify the amounts being spent on transportation, lodging, autos plus others and thus identify areas for cost savings or areas of abuse.

The system provides the ability to do a bottom-up budgeting exercise by employee that can be summarized by department/division/section etcetera and allows a corporation to get a better handle on spending for training.
SGA comes with a number of pre-loaded skills and definitions. This gets you up and running much quicker than normal. If you use CAPSA's templates of skills by profession, start-up time will be significantly shortened.
SGA is logically laid out and requires little training to understand how to operate the system. Training is usually one to two days with some clients not taking any training. Feedback on the system being "user friendly" has been excellent.

SGA provides a skills based Job Description which will assist you in hiring and/or promoting employees who are better able to perform efficiently in their jobs.

The better trained your work force is, the more efficient and effective they will be. This leads to higher individual and departmental outputs, fewer mistakes and maintenance requirements, projects will be more timely and your corporation will be more effective overall. This can be accomplished by using SGA to manage the training cycle.

E-mail: info@capsaconsulting.com

EconexCorp