Lab Matters Winter 2024 | Page 21

The Laboratory Curriculum Framework is a competencybased curriculum framework — a career-spanning , visual schematic — for human and animal food laboratory professionals . The framework is being used for :

• Training development courses and other learning events

• Cataloging existing training

• Career development

• Competency assessment

The goal of this framework is to foster a competent workforce trained to a consistent standard . While this framework was originally created for analysts working in human and animal food laboratories , many competencies and training materials have a broader reach .

Framework Lev els

The framework spans four professional levels ( entry , mid , expert and director ), and depicts the content areas in which laboratory professionals must possess competencies ( i . e ., knowledge , skills , abilities , behaviors and attributes ) in order to successfully perform their job functions .

Building Analyst Competency

The framework outlines the competencies that laboratorians should possess in various stages of their career and in various disciplines ( Microbiology , Chemistry , Specialized Testing ). You can use these competencies to determine where you or your supervisee have knowledge gaps and identify learning resources to gain these competencies .

Competencies List : www . ifpti . org / ncs-lab-competencies Interactive Framework : www . ifpti . org / ifss-lab

Training Available

Competency-based training courses are currently in development to complement the curriculum framework . These courses can b e found on APHL ' s Learning Portal at learn . aphl . org / learn .