RoSPA Young Drivers at Work Report

Chapter 8
The Oxford dictionary definition i of ‘competent’ is:
1. Having the necessary skill or knowledge to do
something successfully.
2. satisfactory or adequate, though not outstanding: she
spoke quite competent French.
3. having legal authority to deal with a particular matter.
– ORIGIN from Latin competere in the sense ‘be fit
or proper’.
The Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) and the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) have respectively defined
competence as:
“The ability to undertake responsibilities and to
perform activities to a recognised standard on a
regular basis. Competence is a combination of
practical and thinking skills, experience and
knowledge, and may include a willingness to
undertake work activities in accordance with
agreed standards, rules and procedures. ”
ii
“In general, being competent is having: relevant
knowledge, skills and experience; the ability to
apply these appropriately, while recognising the
limits of your competence; and the necessary
training to help you acquire and maintain this...
it is set as a goal for you to achieve. ”
iii
“Competence in the sense it is used in these
Regulations does not necessarily depend on the
possession of particular skills or qualifications.
Simple situations may require only the following:
(a) An understanding of relevant current
best practice;
(b) An awareness of the limitations of one’s own
experience and knowledge; and
(c) The willingness and ability to supplement
existing experience and knowledge, when
necessary by obtaining external help
and advice.
“More complicated situations will require the
competent assistant to have a higher level of
knowledge and experience. More complex or highly
technical situations will call for specific applied
knowledge and skills which can be offered by
appropriately qualified specialists. ”
iv
Within our sample however the word was understood in a
variety of ways.
For most respondents,‘competence’ meant an ability to do
something well and with particular skill. A small number of
respondents though took competence to refer to the
second dictionary definition of,‘satisfactory or adequate’.
The differences in understanding is some concern given
that under health and safety guidelines, it is the employers’
responsibility to define their expectations of ability.
Another way to look at this issue is in relation to the
concept of ‘threshold competencies’. It could be argued, for
example, that the current driving test is a measure of the
achievement of the minimum, or threshold, level of
competence necessary to be able to drive solo. Clearly,
however, the evidence from this research is that employers
in particular do not consider that young drivers who have
passed their test are sufficiently ‘competent’ for the work
place environment. This lack may be a matter of obtaining
new ‘threshold competencies’ i.e. driving a new type of
vehicle to a minimum standard. Alternately it may be a
matter of demonstrating the higher order, active learning
sense of competence set out in the HSE definition.
Overall, respondents were seeking a post-test qualification
to not only give themselves confidence in the competence
of their staff, but also to demonstrate to others that their
recruits were competent:
“Anything that goes towards demonstrating
competence... any training which changes people’s
attitude would be of value. ”
(Safety and Services Manager, telephone interviewee)
“Reassurance, that’s the hardest thing, to reassure
yourself that you’ve done as much as you can to
ensure that person’s safe. Also being a consultancy
if we can say that this recognised qualification has
respect across Britain or internationally, that this
person who’s applying for a role with a client has
actually got this qualification, then they’ll take us
more seriously and hopefully take the individual
more seriously. ”
(Health and Safety Manager, telephone interviewee)
“I would advertise the fact to the customers that
my staff have got a certificate of competence. ”
(Small business owner, telephone interviewee)
When asked about the skills needed for the driving tasks that
their young employees were doing,one respondent replied:
“A valid driving licence and a level of competence. ”
(Services Manager, telephone interviewee)
Young Drivers at Work Report
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