Reasonable, Reliable, Defensible: The Role of a Transferable Skills Analysis in Vocational Rehab

What is a Transferable Skills Analysis?

A Transferable Skills Analysis (TSA) is a comprehensive analysis designed to identify transferable skills that an individual possesses to analyze how those skills align with the requirements of other occupations.

If carried out properly and when applicable, a TSA is an objective, defensible method to determine reasonable and reliable direct entry employment options for a person based upon their adjusted vocational profile

What is a “transferable skill”?

A Transferable Skill is an innate or acquired skill that one has successfully carried out that can be transferred to alternate suitable employment in the “world of work”.

Some skills are simply a natural ability to do something, but most often, skills are acquired through formal or informal training and through work experience.

The information provided in a Transferable Skills Analysis can help to:

• Identify suitable occupations based on the client’s skills

• Outline pathways that the client will be successful with, taking into account their occupational interests

• Expedite return to work efforts and ensure longevity in the chosen occupation

• Reduce unnecessary retraining by identifying careers that require little to no additional education

TSA’s are most commonly used when suitable alternate occupations need to be considered, or when the client is approaching their Change of Definition (COD) date.

What is the difference between a Transferable Skills Analysis (TSA) and a Vocational Evaluation (VE)? How do I know which one will be more beneficial for determining claim direction?

While both TSAs and VEs are helpful tools for determining claim direction when an individual is not able to return to their pre-injury occupation, they both serve different purposes in vocational rehabilitation.

Here is a breakdown of how TSAs and VEs can impact vocational rehab and claims decisions:

Transferable Skills Analysis

• Identifies alternate job options based on past work experience, education, and skills.

• Typically used when the individual cannot return to their pre-injury job and alternate employment is being explored

• Helps insurers understand what types of roles are reasonably accessible based on the individual’s background

• Useful for claim planning, early intervention, and return-to-work pathways

• Shorter, more targeted, and often less costly

Vocational Evaluations

• Provides a comprehensive assessment of a person's current vocational abilities, aptitudes, and limitations

• Used when functional, psychological, or cognitive concerns need in-depth evaluation to determine employability

• Helps insurers understand whether the individual is capable of working at all, and under what conditions

• Useful in complex or prolonged claims, especially when there are medical or cognitive factors involved

• More comprehensive, time-intensive, and suited for complex cases

Enhance your claims with our new Advanced Transferable Skills Analysis

Our advanced TSA goes beyond the capabilities of a standard TSA by considering the factor of “reasonability” in claims management and delivering a comprehensive occupational-suitability analysis for each occupation.

Some of the new features included in our Advanced TSA include:

1. Occupational Suitability Analysis: A detailed analysis of occupational suitability that highlights the most viable occupational pathways based on your client’s functional capabilities, aptitudes, vocational interests, educational background, and transferability, providing both quantitative and qualitative insights for decision making.

2. Occupational Barrier Identification and Mitigation Strategies: An assessment of potential barriers to employment, including training gaps, cognitive demands, or physical restrictions, with tailored mitigation strategies to improve long-term success in the chosen occupation.

3. Computer Literacy and Job Search Skill Assessments: An evaluation of a client’s proficiency in essential computer applications, digital communication, and online job search techniques, ensuring they meet the technological and employability requirements of their targeted occupations.

4. Renewed Focus on Reasonability: An evaluation of the reasonability of a client entering an occupation, integrating occupational match analyses and barrier mitigation strategies to enhance the defensibility of the TSA findings.

5. Executive Summary: A clear and concise executive summary, putting key findings front and center for efficient review and quick decision making.

With a refined focus on defining reasonability, our Advanced TSA is designed to:

• Improve claim decision durability, reducing overall long-term risk.

• Support defensible decision-making by providing evidence-based recommendations that stand up to investigation.

• Identifies reasonably suitable options by identifying realistic, direct-entry opportunities.

• Builds client cooperation through recommendations in alignment with the client’s actual abilities and interests.

Interested in learning more about how our Advanced TSA can support your alternate occupation decision-making?

We welcome the opportunity to connect with you!