The
Occupations in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles have each been assigned
values or codes called Work Fields and MPSMS Codes. These codes provide
the basis for searching occupations for transferability.
Work
Fields, a component of Work Performed, are categories of technologies that reflect how work gets done and what gets done as a result of the work activities of a job: the purpose of the job.
(see item (ii) below) There are 96 Work Fields for use by the USES for classification of all jobs in the economy in terms of what gets done on the job.
MPSMS Codes(see item (iii) below) Materials, Products, Subject Matter, and Services
MPSMS is the final link in a chain describing (1) what the worker does (Worker Function); (2) what gets done (Work Fields); (3) to what
(MPSMS).
The determination and assignment of an appropriate MPSMS code and title for a specific job is essential (1) to place the job in its occupational group of the DOT
and (2) to contribute to an understanding of the basic knowledge required of the worker. The assigned Work
Field(s) and MPSMS together answer the question, "What does the worker need to know?"
* For more information on Work Fields and MPSMS Codes see The Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs, US Department of Labor 1991
Our
TSA program searches these fields comparing them to your client's Vocational
History for matches. It also uses the Specific Vocational Preparation
value assigned all occupations in the DOT to determine whether the occupation
has the same or lesser degree of skill. (see item (i)below)
Specific Vocational Preparation is defined as the amount of lapsed time required
by a typical worker to learn the techniques, acquire the information, and
develop the facility needed for average performance in a specific job-worker
situation.
(Excerpt
from Title 20 [CITE:
20CFR404.1568])
(c)
Skilled work. Skilled work requires qualifications in which a person uses
judgment to determine the machine and manual operations to be performed in
order to obtain the proper form, quality, or quantity of material to be
produced. Skilled work may require laying out work, estimating quality,
determining the suitability and needed quantities of materials, making
precise measurements, reading blueprints or other specifications, or making
necessary computations or mechanical adjustments to control or regulate the
work. Other skilled jobs may require dealing with people, facts, or figures
or abstract ideas at a high level of complexity.
(d)
Skills that can be used in other work (transferability)--(1) What we mean by
transferable skills. We consider you to have skills that can be used in
other jobs, when the skilled or semi-skilled work activities
you did in past work can be used to meet the requirements of skilled or
semi-skilled work activities of other jobs or kinds of work. This
depends largely on the similarity of occupationally significant work
activities among different jobs.
(2)
How we determine skills that can be transferred to other jobs.
Transferability is most probable and meaningful among jobs in which--
(i)
The same or a lesser degree of skill is required; (ii) The same or similar tools and
machines are used; and (iii) The same or similar raw materials,
products, processes, or services are involved.