Vocational Assessment and Evaluation

VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION:
Vocational assessment is an appraisal of a person's work/training background, general functional capacities, and social or behavioural characteristics. It may include an evaluation of medical factors and psychological factors, educational background, social behaviours, attitudes, values, work skills and abilities. It describes and attempts to predict a person's employment or occupational potential.

Assessment is a broad approach to obtaining information through tests and other methods. The procedures may include interviews, standardized tests, inventories, observations, job simulations, and medical examinations. The main factors considered in a vocational assessment are motivation level, interests, skills, abilities, education and training.

Vocational evaluation is an appraisal of a person’s work characteristics for education and training, in order to access and maintain employment. It includes a comprehensive review of a person's work characteristics, including occupational interests, job skills, traits, general intelligence, temperament, physical capacities, strength, range of motion and other work- related functions and aptitudes.

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS & TOOLS:
Achievement Tests:
- Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT): The CAAT is a measure of an adult's current functional level in mathematics, reading and language. It was designed for Canadian adults, regardless of previous school experience. It helps determine a person's educational level and readiness for literacy instruction, general academic upgrading, core skills development and vocational selection.

- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT): The WIAT assesses the academic achievement of children, adolescents, college students and adults, ages 4 through 85. The test can assess a broad range of academics skills or a particular area of need. There are four basic scales with 9 sub-test scores in: Reading, Math, Writing, and Oral Language. There are 16 subtests including: Oral Reading Fluency, Math Problem Solving, Math Fluency Addition/Subtraction /Multiplication, Early Reading Skills, Alphabet Writing Fluency, Sentence Composition and Essay Composition.

- Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT): The WRAT is an achievement test which measures a person's ability to read words, comprehend sentences, spell, and compute solutions to math problems. The test is appropriate for people ages 5 to 94. It has been used in a variety of settings as a measure of basic academic skills for effective learning, communication, and thinking; reading and spelling words, and performing basic math calculations.

Aptitude Tests:
- Differential Aptitude Test (DAT): The DAT is a widely used aptitude tests which measures eight areas including: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Ability, Abstract Reasoning, Clerical Speed and Accuracy, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling, and Language Usage.

- General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB): The GATB is used in vocational counselling, rehabilitation, and occupational selection settings. The profile of occupational aptitudes can be used to determine appropriate career and/or training paths. The general working population is the reference group and test-taker need to have at least a Grade 6 level of knowledge. It measures nine aptitudes using 12 separate tests in the following areas: General Learning Ability, Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Spatial Perception, Form Perception, Clerical Perception, Motor Coordination, Finger Dexterity, and Manual Dexterity. The GATB can be used to compare occupational requirements found in the National Occupational Classification using percentile scores that fall within five aptitude levels.

Employment and Earning Capacity Assessment:
The Employment and Earning Capacity Assessment evaluates a person's current and potential suitable-gainful employability. It assesses the person's capacity to perform the physical and mental tasks of a particular type of occupation or work that a person is qualified to do based on their education, training and experience. It is used to create a person's pre and post-injury vocational profile. It assesses the person's ability to perform the essential functions of an occupation with or without accommodations. It also identifies suitable occupations for the person and determines their earning capacity based on suitability for the occupation. The conclusions are based on relevant vocational and medical information made available to the assessor. The intended outcome is to identify the current and potential suitable gainful employability, considering both the pre-and post-injury vocational profile. An opinion is provided regarding whether, as a result of limitation(s) posed by the diagnosed health condition(s), the person would have the capacity of performing any suitable occupation that would provide gainful employment with a rate of pay that supports their self-sufficiency.

Ergonomic Assessment:
An Ergonomic Assessment is to assess a person's work area/station and/or their workplace, to understand how it affects them performing the tasks of their job or for retraining/studying. The assessment considers human factors, task requirements, workstation organization and environmental factors in order to design a safe and productive work area. The intended outcome is to provide recommendations (changes, modifications, and/or equipment needs) that may assist in fitting the tasks or work area for the person.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (cognitive):
A cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation is usually completed over two days of testing to assess the person's functional impairment of memory, attention, planning, problem solving, learning, impulsivity and tolerance for multiple demands. The intended outcome is to determine the person's current cognitive functional abilities for employability and/or rehabilitation recommendations.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (physical):
A physical Functional Capacity Evaluation is usually completed over two days of testing the person's physical tolerance and functional limitations. This includes an evaluation of their general level of fitness, range of motion, stability, flexibility and strength; various positional tolerances; and material handling capacities for essential tasks (such as lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling). The intended outcome is to determine the person's current physical functional abilities and to help identify their employability and/or rehabilitation recommendations.

Initial Vocational Assessment:
An Initial Vocational Assessment is a structured interview that assists with identifying a person's level of functioning in relation to vocational preparation, employment selection, and career decision-making. The information gathered can help to determine the person's vocational needs. The intended outcome is to identify the person's vocational profile and vocational needs, and any further vocational assessments required to provide a comprehensive understanding of their vocational profile, vocational needs, barriers to employment, and overall employability.

Intelligence Tests:
- Stanford-Binet: It provides a Full Scale score and assesses Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, Working Memory, and the ability to compare verbal and nonverbal performance.

- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale: An IQ test for older children and adults, it provides a Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale score, as well as scores for verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed. This intelligence test is often used in a psycho-vocational assessment.

- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities: This test gives a measure of general intellectual ability and looks at working memory and executive function skills.

- TONI-4 (nonverbal intelligence): This is a norm-referenced non-linguistic problem solving ability assessment tool used with people who have spoken language disorders (i.e. aphasia); people who are deaf or hearing impaired; with non-English speakers, or English-language learners; to assess cognitive, language, or motor impairments due to neurological conditions (i.e. cerebral palsy); and to identify people who may be experiencing an intellectual impairment.

Interest Inventories:
- Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI): The CWPI is a tool for counselling to measure five career interests in 15 to 20 minutes. It can be used to determine whether a person's job matches their interest, or whether a mismatch between jobs and interests may be a source of problems. The CWPI Job Dictionary links to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). It measures five occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.

- Career Assessment Inventory (CAI): The CAI compares a person's occupational interests to those in 111 specific careers that reflect a broad range of technical and professional positions in the workforce. The inventory is used by career guidance and vocational rehabilitation professionals to help students and adults develop career and study plans. It's also used by psychologists and human resource professionals to advise on career development.

- Career Occupational Preference System (COPS): The COPS Interest Inventory includes 168 items, providing job activity interest scores related to 14 different career clusters. Each cluster corresponds to both high school and college curriculum, as well as current sources of occupational information. The COPS emphasizes a "hands-on" approach to career exploration, featuring career and educational planning worksheets, and a listing of suggested activities to gain experience.

- Jackson Vocational Interest Survey: The JVIS scales are based on occupational preferences of work roles and work styles. Work roles include sets of activities relevant to occupations. Work styles are a preference for certain types of work environments.

- Reading Free Vocational Interest Inventory: The RFVII nonverbal test illustrates job tasks to help individuals with intellectual or learning disabilities choose the activities they would most like to do. By identifying areas and patterns of interest, it can assist with occupational planning and job placement. A series of 55 sets of three drawings depict different job tasks and the test taker selects their most preferred activity in each set.

- Self-Directed Search (SDS): The SDS is based on psychologist John Holland’s six occupational RIASEC themes. The Self-Directed Search Form R (SDS-R) is an assessment of occupational interests and can be administered individually or in a group. It's geared for adolescents in high school level, college students, and adults in the workforce. It matches skills and interests with an occupation or field of study.

- Strong Interest Inventory (SII): The SII is an interest inventory used in assisting clients to determine a vocational direction that matches their personal interests. The goal is to provide insight into a person's interests, so they have less difficulty in deciding on an appropriate career choice. It is frequently used for educational guidance as one of the most popular career assessment tools. The modern version is based on the Holland Codes or Occupational Themes (RIASEC) and consists of 291 items, asking to indicate a preference from five responses.

Job Site Analysis:
A Job Site Analysis is an on-site analysis of the person's essential job tasks to determine their current abilities and any limitations. Observations are made of the person completing their essential job tasks in order to analyze the physical, behavioural, and/or cognitive demands. The intended outcome is to determine if the person is a suitable match for the job and/or if recommendations for accommodations would support a safe and sustainable return to work.

Neuropsychological Evaluations:
Neuropsychological evaluation is testing performed by a neuropsychologist to acquire data about a person's cognitive, motor, behavioural, linguistic, and executive functioning. This data can provide information leading to the diagnosis or confirmation of a diagnosis of cognitive deficit. It can detect the possibility of organic abnormalities in the central nervous system. This can guide effective treatment and rehabilitation for people with neurocognitive impairments. It can measure and give insight into a variety of areas including: intellectual functioning, academic achievement, language processing, visuospatial processing, attention/concentration, verbal/visual learning and memory, executive functions, speed of processing, sensory-perceptual functions, motor speed and strength, motivation/symptom validity, and personality assessment.

Personality Tests:
- Beck Depression Inventory: The Beck Depression Inventory (includes three types -- BDI, BDI-1A, BDI-II) is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory. It is a psychometric test for measuring the severity
of depression.

- House-Tree-Person Interrogation Form: The H-T-P is used to assess intellectual functioning through drawing. It is based on a quantitative scoring system to appraise gross classification levels of intelligence and a qualitative interpretive analysis to appraise global personality characteristics. The Post-Drawing Interrogation form (PDI) consists of 60 questions varying from direct and concrete to indirect and abstract. After administering and interviewing, an examiner records items of detail, proportion, and perspective in a Scoring Folder and uses scoring tables to generate an IQ figure.

- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): The MMPI is a psychological test that assesses personality traits and psychopathology. It is intended to test people who are suspected of having mental health or other clinical issues. There are two types of MMPI forms, the MMPI- 2, with 567 true/false questions, and the newer MMPI-2-RF, with 338 true/false items. The MMPI-2-RF takes about half the time to complete (usually 30 to 50 minutes), but the MMPI-2 is still more frequently used because it has a large research base and is familiar to psychologists. These tests are only administered and interpreted by licensed or registered psychologists.

- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): The MBTI is based on Carl Jung’s concepts of perception and judgment. It is scored on eight scales yielding four bipolar dimensions of Extroversion (E) versus Introversion (I); Sensing (S) versus Intuition (N); Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F); and Judgment (J) versus Perception (P). The 16 different MBTI personality types are scored resulting in four letters; a combination which indicates a person’s dominant, auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior functional preferences on each of the four dimensions.

- Rorschach Psychodiagnostic (inkblot) Test: The Rorschach test is a psychological test that records subjects' perceptions of inkblots and analyzes them using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorders, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.

- Sentence Completion: Sentence completion tests are semi- structured projective techniques that provide respondents with beginnings of sentences to complete in ways that are meaningful to them. The responses are believed to provide indications of attitudes, beliefs, motivations, or other mental states. There is debate over whether or not sentence completion tests elicit responses from conscious thought rather than unconscious states.

- TAT (Thematic Apperception Test): The TAT (also known as the picture interpretation technique), is a projective psychological test. This technique assumes that a person's responses to the picture cards used can provide information about their views of the self, the world, and interpersonal relationships.

Physical Demands Analysis:
A Physical Demands Analysis is an assessment of the physical effort (functional requirements) required for an occupation. It identifies the potential hazards related to strain and sprain injuries. It examines the force, posture, repetition and duration of demands in a specific job or task. It focuses on five areas that are the major hazards for strains and sprains including: force, work environment, mobility, dexterity and posture/joint position. The intended outcome is to identify the physical requirements of the occupation and any potential hazards.

Psychoeducational Assessment:
A Psychoeducational Assessment assesses a person's general learning ability and aptitudes with emphasis on identification of any learning disabilities that may interfere with their ability to learn. This assessment distinguishes between learning disorders and mental health issues, offering recommendations to mitigate any limitations. This assessment is used when a person has a history of academic, social, or behavioural challenges that interfere with their ability to benefit from instruction. This comprehensive assessment can identify factors contributing to problems and provide recommendations for appropriate strategies and/or accommodations to enable a person to realize their potential. It may include detailed assessment of intelligence; measures of reading ability, including comprehension and phonological analysis (breaking down spoken words into their sounds); measures of math achievement; attentional processes; and emotional status. The intended outcome is to provide an opinion regarding the person's learning profile, any related diagnoses, and recommended services and supports to assist in rehabilitation planning. It requires a registered psychologist who specializes in clinical, educational, and/or rehabilitation psychology.

Psychovocational Assessment:
A Psychovocational Assessment assessment focuses on identifying suitable occupational options by taking into account the person's aptitudes, achievements, vocational interests, personality characteristics, general psychological functioning, transferable skills and labour market information. This type of assessment can be used when there is minimal information regarding psychologically suitable occupational options, or when retraining is considered and there is a question as to whether the person has the intellectual potential to succeed in an academic upgrading or training program. This assessment can also comment on the person's general psychological functioning in terms of their ability to function in the workplace. It does not address the person's functional capacity for full-time or part-time employment. The intended outcome is to establish the person's current level of cognitive-vocational functioning when considering a return to employment, and future decision-making around employment and/or employability. It identifies barriers to employment related to general personality characteristics, current emotional status, general intelligence, and motivation, as well as recommendations to address these barriers. It requires a registered psychologist who specializes in clinical, rehabilitation, and/or vocational psychology.

Situational / OTJ / Supported Employment Assessments:
Situational (also known as on-the-job and supported employment) assessments are a work assessment approach used by observing a client's job performance and work behaviors in a realistic but controlled environment. It can provide insights into the client’s general employability and behaviours. It focuses on the client’s work potential and their ability to accept supervision, get along with co-workers, stay on task, sustain productivity for 8 hours, and tolerate frustration.

Transferable Skills Analysis:
Transferable Skills Analysis identifies the skills and abilities a person has obtained through education, vocational training, and past work experiences that would transfer to other jobs with similar skill requirements. The information gathered during the analysis assists in identifying vocational options that are consistent and compatible with the person's previous work experiences and are within their functional capabilities. It may also identify occupational goals where there are some transferable skills, but which require additional training to meet employment requirements. The intended outcome is to identify appropriate vocational options for the person based on their functional capacity, education, training, work history and transferable skills.

During the TSA process of identifying a person's traits and skills (demonstrated from past jobs) to match with similar traits and skill requirements in other jobs, the VR professional develops a profile of the worker’s past occupational/education history; modifies the profile to take into account the worker’s current functioning level; determines potential alternative occupational matches; obtains labour market information on vocational alternatives; and assists the worker with determining a new career direction.

In a basic TSA, there are five steps to complete:
1. Information Gathering: a description of the client’s past education and work history obtained through interviews, file review, medical records, and job descriptions. This may also include a person's hobbies and volunteer experiences.
2. Pre-Accident/Illness Profile: raw data related to work history and an Unadjusted Profile is developed based on information in the NOC Career Handbook.
3. Residual Profile: identifies the client’s current functioning level, which has changed since their accident/illness. Physical and cognitive functioning and l aptitudes may have changed, depending on the type of health condition.
4. Alternative Occupations: occupations based on the results from the Residual Profile that match the person's aptitudes, interests and physical limitations. It makes a comparison to other occupations in the NOC Career Handbook and includes jobs which they could be performed in the future with additional education or training. This step can be used for occupational exploration activities with the client.
5. Labour Market/Training Information: takes into consideration job availability, expected income, length and availability of training, size of labour market, etc. This info can be found in Government of Canada publications, StatsCan information, direct contact with employers/training organizations, and from other sources online.

Values Inventories:
- Work Environment Preference Schedule: The WEPS was designed to measure a personality construct known as "bureaucratic orientation", which reflects a commitment to the set of attitudes, values, and behaviours that are fostered and rewarded by bureaucratic organizations. High scores are reflective of people who accept authority, who prefer to have specific rules and guidelines to follow, who prefer impersonalized work relationships, and who seek the security of organizational and in-group identification.

- Work Values Inventory: The WVI is an original assessment tool created by Donald Super. Work values are qualities that people seek in their work, occupation, or career. This inventory was a career pattern study research tool used in the late 1940s. It assessed 15 values, such as achievement, prestige, esthetics, and economic returns, using a five-point scale to rate the importance of each to the respondent.

Vocational Evaluation:
A Vocational Evaluation is a comprehensive process which assists people with employment challenges to learn more about their abilities, skills, talents, interests, potential, and how these characteristics match up with to the labour market. It incorporates a person's transferable skills, education, training, experience, and considers various factors for job matching. It does not address their functional capacity for employment. The intended outcome is to identify realistic vocational goals, and the creation of a road-map of how the person can achieve them and make decisions around employability and/or appropriate suitable employment.

Work Hardening:
Work Hardening is an assessment of a person's current functional abilities and any limitations, in order to classify their strength rating on the physical demands strength rating and to advise on recommendations to enhance their strength rating. The intended outcome is to determine the person's current physical demands strength rating and identify recommendations to overcome or reduce their limitations.

Work Samples Tests:
Work samples are an assessment approach that observes a person performing a simulated or actual work activity. It is designed to see whether the person follows the procedures and uses the tools and materials involved in an actual job. These tests are used to measure vocational aptitudes, worker temperaments, vocational interests, hand dexterity, tolerance for standing or sitting, work habits and behaviours, learning style, and understanding of written and oral instructions. Examples of work samples tests include the McCarron-Dial Evaluation System, VALPAR Component Work Samples series, and the Micro-TOWER System of Vocational Evaluation.

REFERENCES:
College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals, Board of Directors. 2021-2023. Standards of Practice. College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals. https://cvrp.net/wp-content/uploads/129-Approved-Version-02-CVRP-SoPs.pdf

College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals, Board of Directors. 2019. Vocational Rehabilitation Competencies. College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals. https://cvrp.net/wp-content/uploads/60-Competencies.pdf