A vocational skills audit examines the skills that are present in an employee or a workforce and the skills that are needed to successfully perform a job. This assessment helps point out areas of strength and needed development.

Self-Assessment

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A vocational skills self-audit helps you determine what skills and abilities you have acquired, where your skills are strongest and where you might need to focus your training, education or self-development. Many people perform a self-assessment of this type when they are considering changing careers, applying for a promotion or are on the job market.

To perform a self-assessment, list each job you have held and the skills that were necessary to perform those jobs. Then rate yourself on each skill. Your assessment should give you a broad picture of your areas of strength and the areas in which your skills are weaker. Use this assessment to compare the skills you already possess with the skills necessary to perform the jobs you're applying for.

Organizational Assessment

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Vocational skills audits may also be conducted by an organization to learn in which areas their employees are strong and highly skilled and in which areas they need to focus training or hiring resources. Some organizations conduct assessment internally, using a collaborative process in which employees assess themselves and their jobs while management also performs assessment. Other organizations hire external firms that specialize in skills assessment. Employees are sometimes asked to do self-assessment as part of their yearly review.

Conclusion

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Whether self-administered or administered by someone else, a vocational skills audit helps employees and management understand what skills are necessary to job performance, what areas employees are highly skilled in and which areas are in need of development.