Transferable Skills Analysis: Using Past Skills to Inform Future Opportunities

Elements of Transferable Skills Analyses

To conduct a transferable skills analysis, it is important to understand its key elements. Using these elements can become valuable tools for attaining quality employment outcomes. The key elements include:

• Vocational interview
• Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• Occupational Information Network, or O*NET's Standard Occupational Classification, SOC
• Past relevant work
• Residual functional capacity

Vocational Interview

A prerequisite to gathering accurate and necessary information to complete a transferable skills analysis is establishing rapport, or therapeutic alliance, with the VR customer. Guidance and counseling can begin with the intake interview but should continue throughout the vocational rehabilitation process.

It is essential to think of vocational interviewing as part of the vocational assessment.

Dictionary of Occupational Titles

The Dictionary of Occupation Titles (DOT) can help VR Counselors identify skills that may be transferable to new job tasks or opportunities. DOT codes indicate categories, divisions, and groups of job titles, as well as relevant information on worker traits in the areas of strength, general educational development, and specific vocational preparation.

Occupational Information Network, or O*NET's Standard Occupational Classification, SOC

The O*NET system is regularly updated with information from the DOT on occupational characteristics and worker requirements across the U.S. economy. O*Net describes occupations in terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the jobs, and how the work is performed regarding tasks, work activities, and other descriptors.

 O*Net Online's DOT Crosswalk search cross-references the DOT to the SOC.

Past Relevant Work

Social Security defines past relevant work as:

• Work done within the past 15 years
• Work regarded as substantial gainful activity (SGA). A person earning more than a certain monthly amount, determined annually by Social Security, is ordinarily considered to be engaging in SGA.
• Lasting long enough for workers to learn to do it. (Social Security Administration)

VR counselors can focus on past relevant work to determine what past work activities, job skills, and worker traits to focus on as potentially transferable skills.

Residual Functional Capacity

A worker's residual functional capacity is the most they can still do despite limitations caused by disability. These limitations could involve mobility, work tolerance, self-care, work skills, communication, self-direction, or interpersonal skills. (Social Security Administration)

To determine a person’s residual functional capacity, a VR counselor must collaborate with the job seeker to determine to what degree they can work, with or without accommodations.