Skills Table releases assessment tool
13 October 2016 by Sotiris KanarisThe Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table (Skills Table) has released the National Mobile Crane Operator Demonstration of Skills Test (DOST), a turnkey package consisting of products now available for use by Canada’s crane industry.
DOST can be used to assess the practical ability of a mobile crane operator to safely operate cranes to Occupational Health and Safety requirements and industry standards. It is comprised of the DOST Protocol and Candidate Guide, both designed to complement the existing Red Seal endorsement.
The Dost Protocol includes standardised questions for written assessments, an Assessor’s Guide and checklists. The Candidate Guide provides standardised information to candidates undertaking the DOST and includes information on the scope of the assessment.
For the past two years, the Skills Table has led a project committee of industry representatives to develop DOST. During the development phase, the project committee provided strategic guidance and sought input from a technical working group of industry and crane subject matter experts in jurisdictions across Canada, with testing completed by training organisations throughout the country.
Lionel Railton, project chair and Canadian regional director of the international union of operating engineers, said: “ We remain hopeful that the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship will adopt the DOST as part of the Red Seal Mobile Crane Operator program.”
“The DOST is a solution for jurisdictions without existing tools, while those that have a DOST can use it to compare systems in place and make improvements. Employers can use DOST to conduct in-house assessments,” Skills Table said.
