The bases of competence - Skill development during the transition from university to work

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of four 'base competencies'-mobilizing innovation and change, managing people and tasks, communicating, and managing self-developed from 18 workplace skills. The base competencies constitute generic skill sets necessary for advanced-level corporate jobs and provide a succinct model of the managerial competencies which advanced level employees, not just managers, need to complement their technical expertise. The analysis is based on the Making the Match Between University Graduates and Corporate Employers-Phase II project consisting of three surveys (1987-8, 1988-9, and 1989-90) of two cohorts of university students (early university and pre-graduate) and three cohorts of graduates (job entry, job change and stabilized). A total of 816 students from five Ontario universities and 794 university graduates working in 20 Canadian corporations returned questionnaires in all three years. The skills and base competencies are examined across the three years and the five cohorts. Base competency ratings of men and women are also compared.