Because the standards are national in scope, they are portable, enabling job mobility across states and, in some cases, around the world. For employers, national skill standards ensure that certified workers will have a predictable level of competence as measured on a national or worldwide scale. For teachers, national skill standards define the skills and knowledge that must be taught at various levels to produce a qualified graduate whose skills are competitive with graduates of other schools. Additionally, standards make easier and less costly the development of curricula and training modules. For administrators, national skill standards provide a fair means by which vocational programs in a variety of schools can be evaluated.
Federal administrators can also use the national skill standards as assessment tools.
States can judge which occupational programs meet industry standards, which percentage of their graduates pass the national standard exam in their field, and which teachers are able to pass the certificate of mastery examination for the occupational skills they teach. Unions are reluctant to give up their gatekeeper role, concerned that this will undermine union apprenticeship programs and collective bargaining power. Teachers are failing to attend workshops or other programs to help them upgrade their occupational skills and meet a national standard. Employers within each industry are hesitant about taking the time and leadership necessary to require their workers to have national certificates of mastery in occupations for which they exist. A shared commitment to the concept of skill standards and a recognition of the benefits they afford is necessary for the successful implementation of the standards.