Certain occupations, trades and crafts categorize jobs by skill, education and knowledge. This is mandated by federal or state registration boards or developed in the private sector. Employees in these occupations typically start at apprentice levels and progress to journey-level positions.

Definition of Journey Level

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After an employee has undergone sufficient on-the-job training or completed a formal apprenticeship, a promotion to journey level normally occurs. The worker's promotion depends on knowledge and expertise. Advancement may require passing a test or be solely based on the evaluation of a manager or supervisor.

Contributing Journey Level

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If an employee’s competency evaluation reveals that he needs more time to fully meet the job requirements, he is placed at a contributing journey level. The manager or supervisor documents the areas that need improvement and proposes paths to reach the required competency levels to be a full-fledged journey-level worker.

Journey-Level-Full

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When the worker increases her competency, the supervisor performs another evaluation. If advancement to full journey level is appropriate, the supervisor cites examples of competency in the areas of communication, technical knowledge and problem solving to substantiate the basis for the promotion.