PASA has today launched a new Career Development Toolkit to help individuals, managers and employers support clearer and more consistent career development across pensions administration.
Developed by PASA’s Administration Careers & Development Working Group, the Toolkit builds on the Building Career Pathways in Pensions Administration Guidance published earlier this year. It turns the initial framework into practical resources which can be used across the industry.
PASA Career Pathways is based on nine job families, four capability levels and three skill domains. It is designed to help people understand the capabilities relevant to their role, identify development priorities and explore progression within or between different areas of pensions administration.
The five shared resources published today are:
- Getting Started
- Professionalism and Behaviours Framework
- Personal Development Record
- Manager’s Guide
- Implementing the Framework
Together, the resources provide practical support for people at different stages of their careers, managers leading development conversations and employers considering how the framework could complement their existing people and development processes.
The framework is voluntary and flexible. It isn’t a qualification, performance appraisal tool or replacement for an organisation’s existing job architecture or HR processes. Instead, it provides common language and a consistent reference point which organisations and individuals can adapt to their circumstances.
Daniel Taylor, PASA Director and board sponsor of the Administration Careers & Development Working Group, said: “Career progression in pensions administration isn’t always easy to see or navigate. People may understand the role immediately ahead of them but have much less visibility of the wider opportunities available or the capabilities they need to develop to reach them.
“This Toolkit is intended to make those conversations easier. It provides practical resources for individuals, managers and employers, while recognising organisations structure roles and development differently. It doesn’t prescribe a single career ladder. Instead, it helps people understand where they are, where they might go next and the different routes open to them across the profession.
“We hope employers will use the Toolkit to complement their existing approaches and individuals will use it to take greater ownership of their development.”
David Fairs, PASA Chair, added: “High-quality pensions administration depends on skilled, confident people who can continue developing as the needs of members, schemes and the wider industry evolve.
“Administration careers now extend far beyond traditional perceptions of the profession. They encompass technical expertise, member service, technology, data, operational risk, project delivery, change, client management and leadership. Making these opportunities and the capabilities underpinning them more visible will support recruitment, development and retention across the industry.
“By investing in our people and strengthening the resilience of the administration workforce, we ultimately support better and more consistent outcomes for members.”
The first detailed Job Family Pathway, covering Member operations and casework, will be published in November. It will set out the capability expectations, learning and relevant qualifications for roles within that family. Further Job Family Pathways will follow.
The Career Development Toolkit is available to download from the PASA website here.
