- 1 Current step Occupational descriptions
- 2 Index of titles
- 3 Practice quiz III
- 4 Step three - Complete
Occupational descriptions Return to menu
Whether you are an economist analyzing labour market data for a specific occupation or an employment counsellor helping someone determine what type of training to take, occupational descriptions help us understand an occupation using a standardized language.
Occupational descriptions have been developed for each of the 516 unit groups included in the NOC. Each description includes the following elements:
Lead statement
This section provides a general description of the content and boundaries of a unit group and indicates the main activities of occupations within the unit group. It also indicates the kinds of industries or establishments in which the occupations are found. The list of places of employment is not always exhaustive, but can assist in clarifying the occupations described and in differentiating them from occupations found in other groups.
Example titles
Example titles are the job titles commonly found within a group. The titles are intended to illustrate the contents and range of the occupational group. This list is an extraction of a more expansive listing of alphabetical job titles found in the NOC index of titles.
Inclusions
This section provides a list of borderline job titles belonging to a particular NOC unit group. Inclusions are examples of job titles, that are not easy to classify, even after reading both the unit group label and its description.
Main duties
The main duties section describes the most significant duties of the occupations in the group. It may include:
- a series of statements that can be applied to all occupations in the group;
- two or more sub-sets of occupations with statements that apply to each sub-set or component; and/or
- a series of brief statements that are linked to specific occupations, that, while similar enough to be in the same group, can be described separately.
Employment requirements
Employment requirements are prerequisites generally needed to enter an occupation. Several types of requirements are listed:
- type and level of education, including specific subject matter if relevant, starting with the lowest possible requirement for entry into the occupation;
- specific training required, including apprenticeship, on-the-job, or internal training;
- experience in a related occupation, especially for supervisory or managerial occupations;
- the level of responsibilities with regards to management (management or supervision) or with regards to the safety (policeman or firefighter); and/or
- licenses, certificates, or affiliations.
While some occupations have very specific employment requirements, others have a wide range of acceptable requirements. The following terminology is used to indicate the level of the requirement:
- "Is required" indicates a definite requirement.
- "Is usually required" means that the qualification is generally expressed as required by a majority of employers, but not always mandatory.
- "May be required" describes requirements that some employers may impose, but are not universal.
Qualities related to personal suitability that may have an impact on employability are not described in the classification. These factors are subjective and determined by employers and assessed during the hiring process.
Note: Some occupations are designated as regulated professions and trades. Regulations are subject to change and may vary across jurisdictions. The most reliable information on regulatory requirements for occupations is found on provincial regulatory organizations and licensing authorities’ websites.
Additional information
Some descriptions include additional information to give details on:
- a specialization that may exist within the occupation;
- mobility patterns;
- progression to supervisory positions, specializations, or to other occupations such as management;
- other information that may clarify the occupational description.
Exclusions
The exclusions section helps to clarify the boundaries of a unit group by identifying similar groups or related occupations, such as supervisory groups, that are separately classified.