Introducing the ONET Occupations Reference Guide

1
Introducing the ONET Occupations Reference Guide

• So you want to have ONET in your career system?

2
Purpose of the Guide

• The ONET Occupations Reference Guide is designed
  to provide you one place you can use to find the
  key information you need to use ONET in your
  career system.
• ONET is a very complex and dynamic system to
  use it effectively, you must be familiar with its
  contents and know when and how it changes.

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Draft edition

• Part of what we will be doing today is testing
  out the draft edition of the Guide.
  
• Please provide your comments on parts that are
  not clear or complete.
  
• The Guide will be dynamic, changing as needed.
• The Guide is available from the NCSC website
  (www.xwalkcenter.org/onet10).

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What we will do today

• Become familiar with what is in the Guide
• Not to instruct about ONET
• Many of you are already using ONET in your
  system
  
• The information in the Guide is based on the
  information from the National ONET Center
  (www.onetcenter.org)
  
• The Guide contains relevant links to different
  places on their website
  
• Get your feedback

5
Contents of the Guide

• There are 3 major sections to the Guide
• (see the Table of Contents)
• I. ONET Basics
• II. Using ONET in Your Career System
• III. Keeping Current

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I. ONET Basics

• Where did ONET come from and why?
• Replaced the DOT, first available in 2000
• Now based on SOC taxonomy
• Active survey program well underway
• What occupations are in ONET?
• Attachment 1 List of ONET 10 occupations
• 949 ONET occupations, 812 at the data level

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I. ONET Basics continued

• What information is available about an ONET
  occupation?
  
• Attachment 2 Content Model items
• 6 information domains, 5 being surveyed
• (Guide pages 4-7)
• Supplemental databases, too
• Detailed Work Activities, Emerging Tasks, Lay
  Titles, Related Occupations, Tools and Technology
  (Guide pages 7 8)
  

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Content Model
9
Tools and Technology

• Supplemental database
• (Guide pages 8 9)
• Developed for a subset of occupations (157) based
  on their presence in high demand industries
  
• Research report available
• Uses the standardized taxonomy of the United
  Nations Standard Products and Service Code

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I. ONET Basics continued

• How can I obtain ONET data?
• National ONET Center
• Developers Corner
• Production Database
• National Crosswalk Service Center
• NCSC News
• ONET 10 page
• NCSC RSS Feed

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I. ONET Basics continued

• Current production database is version 10
• Released in June 2006
• Revised taxonomy
• 100 more surveyed occupations (now 580)
• Went into ONET OnLine in September
• (Guide page10)
• Developmental database (version 11)
• Scheduled for release in December 2006 in
  Developers Corner
  
• 101 more surveyed occupations

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I. ONET Basics continued

• Descriptor definition locations
• (Guide page 13)
• Attachment 2 of the Guide
• Content Model page on ONET website
• Data Dictionary
• Database file Content Model Reference

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I. ONET Basics continued

• Scales
• Each ONET descriptor has one or more scales
  connected to it that basically tell you how much
  of that descriptor relates to a particular
  occupation.
• Level and Importance scales are the most
  common. (see Guide pages 14 15)
  

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I. ONET Basics continued

• Anchors
• The survey forms for the incumbents have
  statements to help the respondent understand the
  scale points being used with the question. These
  statements are the same for each occupation.
• See page 16 of the Guide for an example.

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II. Using ONET in Your System

• Which occupations do you want to include?
• Which items of information do you want to use?
• What customization of the information do you want
  to implement?

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II. Using ONET in Your System

• Which occupations do you want to include? (Guide
  page 17)
  
• The occupations in your system may or may not
  equal ONET
  
• If they do, you will have to decide which ones to
  include if not, you will need a crosswalk
  
• All (that have data)?
• Labor market significance
• User needs and interests
• List included in Attachment 1 of the Guide

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II. Using ONET in Your System

• Which items of information do you want to use?
  (Guide pages 17 and 18)
  
• There are many items of information for an ONET
  occupation (see Attachment 2) which ones should
  you include?
  
• Each item has a complete scale of information,
  will you set a cut-off level?
  

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II. Using ONET in Your System

• What customization of the information do you want
  to implement? (Guide page 18)
  
• How will you help users understand the
  information?
  
• How will you make the information format and
  style consistent with other information?
  
• Remember dont change the meaning!

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Time for some exercise!
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III. Keeping Current

• How do you know when ONET has changed?
• How can you get your questions answered?

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III. Keeping Current continued

• How do you know when ONET has changed? (Guide
  pages19-21)
  
• This is critical and can be complex, information
  is on several places on the site
  
• Developers Corner
• Whats New
• Database History and Summary Update
• Data Dictionary

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III. Keeping Current continued

• How can you get your questions answered?
• If you cannot find the information you need on
  the ONET website, you can
  
• Check the Frequently Asked Questions
• Send an email to Customer Service
• Onet_at_ncmail.net

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Feedback

• Comments?
• Questions?
• Suggestions?

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Send comments, questions or suggestions about the
Guide to
National Crosswalk Service Center
Iowa Department of Education Grimes State Office
Building Des Moines IA 50319 Telephone 515-2
42-5034 E-mail ncsc_at_iowa.gov