Understanding the OaSIS Canadian Rating Guide (CRG) for Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational rehabilitation professionals often rely on structured occupational information when identifying potential work options for clients. In Canada, one important source of this information is the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).

A recent development supporting the use of OaSIS is the publication of the Canadian Rating Guide (CRG). The CRG provides guidance on how the ratings used within OaSIS should be interpreted.

For professionals completing transferable skills analysis, vocational assessments, or return-to-work planning, this guide helps clarify how occupational requirements are described and how the rating scales should be understood.

You can access the CRG rating guides in both French and English directly through the Government of Canada data portal.

What Is OaSIS?

The Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS) is a Canadian occupational information database that describes the attributes associated with different occupations. It was designed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) as a general occupational information system for multiple audiences, including career counsellors, students exploring occupations, labour market researchers, and vocational rehabilitation professionals.

OaSIS has been introduced over the past two years, and is gradually replacing the Career Handbook, which is no longer being updated. Transition resources are available on the OaSIS web site to help users move from the Career Handbook to the new system.

OaSIS works alongside the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which identifies and organizes occupations within the Canadian labour market. It adds additional detail by describing characteristics of work such as:

• knowledge areas used in the occupation
• skills required to perform tasks
• abilities needed to carry out work activities
• personal attributes
• interests
• and work context.

These characteristics are assigned ratings that indicate the typical level of importance or intensity for an occupation.

If you would like more background on OaSIS, you can also explore:

• the OaSIS information pages on the Government of Canada site
• previous posts in The Practice Perspective blog that discuss using OaSIS in vocational assessment.

What Is the Canadian Rating Guide (CRG)?

In March 2026, the Canadian Rating Guides (CRG) for the skills, abilities, and knowledge sections became publicly available. The CRG explains how the OaSIS rating scales should be interpreted, using a criterion-based rating system.

Each domain within OaSIS uses structured rating scales. The CRG describes:

• what each rating level represents
• how each of the rating levels are defined
• how ratings relate to occupational tasks and expectations.

The CRG therefore acts as a reference document that provides transparency and consistency in how occupational ratings are interpreted.

Separate guides are available for knowledge, skills and abilities, while the work context CRGs continue to be in development.

Each guide includes descriptions of rating levels and supporting examples that illustrate how occupational attributes are expressed across different jobs.

Why the CRG Was Developed

Occupational information systems contain large amounts of data. Without guidance, it can be difficult to understand exactly what a rating level represents.

The CRG helps address this challenge by:

• providing clear descriptions of rating scales
• showing how ratings relate to real workplace tasks
• supporting consistent interpretation across users.

For researchers, analysts, and vocational professionals, this guidance improves confidence in how occupational requirements are interpreted.

Understanding the Parts of the CRG

When using the CRG, it is helpful to understand that it contains several different components. Looking only at the numerical rating is often not enough to understand the full meaning of an occupational requirement.

Key elements of the CRG include:

Rating Scale Descriptions

The scales provide details of the criteria for each rating level. For example, ratings may reflect increasing complexity, intensity, or level of demand associated with a skill, knowledge area, or ability.

These descriptions help users understand what distinguishes a lower rating from a higher one.

Task Examples

The CRG includes examples of tasks that illustrate how a skill or ability may appear in real work activities. These examples help translate the rating scale into practical workplace terms.

Example Occupations

Example occupations are also be provided to demonstrate how the attribute appears across different jobs. Reviewing these examples can help practitioners understand the range of work contexts where the attribute may be required.

Taken together, the ratings, task examples, and example occupations provide a more complete picture of the demands associated with a job.

Applying the CRG in Vocational Assessment

For professionals completing vocational assessments, the CRG supports a clearer understanding of occupational requirements.

This can assist with activities such as:

Transferable Skills Analysis

The CRG helps practitioners interpret the client’s pre-injury abilities based on work history, how their illness or injury has affected their ability to perform functional tasks, and how this applies to occupational requirements. This ultimately helps the consultant to determine appropriate post-injury vocational choices.

Occupational Exploration

Understanding how attributes are expressed in different occupations can help identify alternative job options that align with a client’s functional capacity and experience.

Evidence-Informed Analysis

The CRG provides a transparent reference for understanding how occupational attributes are defined. This can support documentation and reasoning within vocational assessment reports.

For many vocational professionals, the CRG becomes part of a broader analytical process.

A simplified framework may include:

1. NOC – identifies and classifies occupations
2. OaSIS – describes occupational attributes
3. CRG – explains how the OaSIS attributes are rated and interpreted
4. Labour Market Information – describes employment outlook and wages
5. Job Demands Analysis (when needed) – identifies the demands of a specific job

Together, these sources support a structured and evidence-informed approach to vocational assessment.

Important Consideration: Typical Job Demands

When interpreting the CRG, it is essential to remember that OaSIS ratings describe typical demands associated with an occupation.

Individual jobs within that occupation may differ depending on factors such as:

• employer expectations
• workplace environment
• equipment or technology used
• organizational practices.

When conducting return-to-work planning, the practitioner may therefore need to examine the specific job demands of the client’s actual workplace.

In these cases, completing a Job Demands Analysis (JDA) can help identify the specific physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of the client’s job.

Using both occupational information (such as OaSIS) and job-specific analysis (such as a JDA) can provide a more complete understanding of work requirements.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming NOC Update

It is worth noting that a new version of the NOC is expected in 2026. As OaSIS is organized alongside the NOC, practitioners should be aware that updates may affect how occupations are classified or referenced. For this reason, when citing occupational information in reports or assessments, it is good practice to specify which version of the NOC and OaSIS you are using, and to include the CRG definition for the rating level referenced. This helps ensure the reader understands the source and supports clarity as the system continues to evolve.

Key Takeaways

• The OaSIS Canadian Rating Guide (CRG) explains how OaSIS occupational ratings are interpreted.
• It provides guidance for understanding skills, knowledge, and ability requirements across occupations.
• The guide includes rating descriptions, task examples, and example occupations that help interpret the data.
• The CRG is currently available as downloadable documents. According to the ESDC team, a searchable online version is expected in the coming years, which will make it easier for practitioners to explore and reference the rating scales
• OaSIS describes typical occupational demands, while specific jobs may vary.
• For return-to-work planning, a Job Demands Analysis may also be needed to understand the client’s actual job requirements.

Learn More About Using NOC and OaSIS in Vocational Assessment

If you are interested in learning more about using Canadian occupational data in a structured vocational assessment process, the Transferable Skills Analysis Education Program explores how NOC and OaSIS information can be used within transferable skills analysis.

The program includes practical guidance on:

• interpreting occupational information
• identifying potential occupational options
• integrating labour market analysis into vocational reports

You can learn more about the program here:
https://cornerstoneot.mykajabi.com