TN 23 (12-23)

DI 25015.019 Transferability of Skills Assessment Documentation

The following examples are illustrations of policy-compliant transferability of skills assessment (TSA) documentation. They do not necessarily represent the only analysis that might be appropriate in each case, nor do they show the only correct way to document each analysis. For TSA case documentation policy, see DI 25015.018E.

A. Examples of TSA documentation concluding skills are not transferable

1. Claimant is closely approaching advanced age (52), with high school education, and sedentary RFC

  • Past relevant work (PRW) with skill level, and specific vocational preparation (SVP): Structural-Steel Worker 801.361-014, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Reading blueprints related to structural forms; using tools such as spud wrenches, hammers, impact drivers, air compressors, and cranes to position and connect structural steel according to blueprints. Lead worker duties included checking timesheets to make sure workers signed in and out and providing them to the superintendent at the end of the shift; requesting materials needed for the job by filling out an order list and taking it to the yard to get the materials; and supervising on-the- job performance of the other employees while working alongside them. The claimant was not involved in the hiring/firing process and did not use computers.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: Although PRW was highly skilled, it is heavy work and skills are unlikely to transfer from a heavy occupation to a sedentary one.

  • Search(es) performed: Work Field (WF)102 and Material, Products, Subject Matter, and Services (MPSMS) code 360. Since skills are unlikely to transfer, a more extensive search is not necessary.

  • Analysis: The search revealed several sedentary occupations,but the products, raw materials, and processes are considered too dissimilar. Almost all the occupations were in unrelated industries (e.g., Boot and Shoe, Instruments and Apparatus, Protective and Medical Devices, etc.). There was an occupation in the Misc. Fabricated Products NEC industry (Pipestem Repairer), as well as a few occupations in Any Industry (e.g., Repairer, Art Objects), but the products, raw materials, and processes were not similar. The claimant’s “lead worker” tasks were considered. However, the claimant did not do the types of administrative, managerial, or clerical tasks that typically provide transferable skills.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable Rule and Conclusion: 201.14 disabled.

  • Cited Occupations if Transferable: N/A

2. Claimant is closely approaching advanced Age (53), high school education, and sedentary RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Cook, Fast Food 313.374-010, skilled, SVP 5.

  • Skills: Cutting and chopping vegetables, slicing meats and rolls, making sandwiches, deep frying foods, cleaning and sanitizing work.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant’s skills from medium exertion work do not apply to sedentary work processes. Skills are unlikely to transfer.

  • Search(es) performed: WF 146 and MPSMS 903.

  • Analysis: No occupations were identified using WF 146. One occupation was identified using MPSMS 903, Diet clerk in medical services. The claimant's skills were obtained in preparing food. This occupation does not use those skills. Diet clerk requires selecting food for hospitalized patients.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable Rule and Conclusion: 201.14 disabled.

  • Cited occupations if transferable: N/A

3. Claimant is advanced age (57), more than high school education, and sedentary RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: General Duty Nurse, 075.364-010, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Taking patient’s vital signs, BP, pulse, temperature, pulse ox. Charting patient’s complaints and vitals. Hanging and checking IV medication and dispensing other medications, caring for patients.

  • Likelihood of transfer and why: Given the claimant’s age and RFC, there must be very little if any adjustment required for skills to transfer. The claimant’s PRW was medium, and she did not do the extensive administrative duties that would have allowed her to use her skills in sedentary work. Transferability is unlikely

  • Search(es) performed: WF 294. MPSMS 924.

  • Analysis: Searching WF 294, there were 8 occupations, only three of which were in the Medical Services industry. One was an optometric assistant which is done in a different work setting. Two are technical occupations of cardiac monitor and Holter scanning technician which require a technical focus rather than charting, administering medications and taking care of patients. Those occupations are not close enough to what the claimant did given the need to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment standard. Using MPSMS 924 there are two occupations in the Medical Services industry, but they are both administrative occupations, one is a nursing registrar, and one is looking through medical files, both of which are in office rather than hospital settings.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 201.06 disabled.

  • Cited occupations if transferable: N/A

4. Claimant is advanced age (57), high school education, light RFC, and is limited to avoid concentrated exposure to dust, fumes, poor ventilation, heights, and machinery

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Bulldozer Operator I 850.683-010, skilled, SVP 5.

  • Skills: Ability to drive and operate a bulldozer, including operating level controls to estimate depth of the cut, and ability to read grade stakes to know at what level to set the blade to get the correct cut level.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: Skills are unlikely to transfer because the skills the claimant gained in PRW require exposure to concentrated fumes and dust and require exposure to dangerous machinery.

  • Search(es) performed: WF 007, and 011. MPSMS 340, 350, and 360.

  • Analysis: Searches only list occupations that must be performed with exposure to concentrated fumes and dust as well as exposure to dangerous machinery. The claimant’s environmental limitations prevent them from using their skills in other work.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable Rule and Conclusion: 202.06 disabled.

  • Cited occupations if transferable: N/A

5. Claimant is of advanced age (59), high school education, and sedentary RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Electrician 824.261-010, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Reading blueprints, writing up orders for equipment needed. Used ohmmeters, pliers, and drills to place wiring. Delegated duties and acted as a lead worker for others. Wired new construction for electricity. Knowledge of standards for passing inspections of wiring in new construction.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: Skills are unlikely to transfer. Given the claimant’s age and RFC, the claimant will need to make very little, if any, vocational adjustment in transferring skills. The claimant’s past work was medium and did not include the extensive administrative skills required to make a successful adjustment to sedentary work particularly at their age and RFC level.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 111. MPSMS 580.

  • Analysis: Search of WF 111 yield no occupations in the construction industry. Search of MPSMS yields one occupation in any industry but it is a supervisor of vendor parts—someone who reviews the parts provided by a vendor. This occupation does not use the claimant’s skills as an electrician wiring at constructions sites.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 201.06 disabled.

  • Cited occupations if transferable: N/A

6. Claimant is closely approaching retirement age (60), with limited education and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: The claimant performed a job that did not have an occupational counterpart in the DOT. The job involved some of the tasks of Retail Store Manager 185.167-046, skilled, SVP 7 and Stock Clerk 299.367-014, semiskilled, SVP 4. Given their duties, overall SVP was probably a little more than semiskilled with an SVP of 5.

  • Skills: Communicating with sales associates to let them know what was needed in different departments. Cleaning areas and stocking shelves. Bringing supplies to floors and using scanners to scan barcodes when stocking.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: Skills are unlikely to transfer. Although the claimant did some managerial tasks, there were no traditional supervisory duties such as hiring/firing, reviewing work, completing time sheets, or recommending personnel actions. The claimant did not gain clerical or management skills. Given age and RFC, the claimant will need to make very little, if any, vocational adjustment to transfer skills.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 292 and 221. MPSMS 881.

  • Analysis: Searches yield several light occupations with SVPs of 5 or less, but they all involve sales skills which the claimant did not gain in this job. The claimant’s job was essentially as a manager, helper, stocker in a retail setting. They did not gain sales skills that would have allowed them to use their skills in other light work.

  • Finding: Skills not transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.02 disabled.

  • Cited occupations if transferable: N/A

B. Examples of TSA documentation concluding skills are transferable

1. Claimant is of advanced age (58), with more than high school education, and light RFC and handling limited to frequent

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: General Duty Nurse, 075.364-010, Skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Starting IVs, checking on patients, taking vital signs, charting to a computer, getting patient histories, ensuring doctor’s orders for tests are sent and received.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: Transferability is highly likely. The claimant has skilled work; and does not have to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment rules until age 60.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 294. MPSMS 924.

  • Analysis: Both searches reveal numerous light occupations within the claimant’s RFC. The occupations cited are light, require no more than frequent handling, and are skilled or semiskilled with SVPs between 7 and 3. The occupations cited use the claimant’s nursing skills.

  • Finding: Skills transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited Occupations, if transferable: Nurse, Staff, Occupational Health Nursing 075.374-022, Nurse, School 075.124-010, Nurse, Office 075.374-014.

2. Claimant is of advanced age (56), with high school education, and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Carpenter 860.381-022, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Interpreting blueprints and building plans; using instruments like calipers, protractor, and compass to take precise measurements; using equipment such as a variety of saws and power tools; knowledge of building codes, construction standards, and woodworking principles.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant has highly skilled work, a light RFC and does not have to meet the very little if any vocational adjustment standard.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 102. MPSMS 360 and 450.

  • Analysis: WF searches yielded a few occupations in construction but all light occupations similar to what the claimant did required supervisory skills. The claimant does not list any supervisory duties. A search of MPSM yields three light occupations that use the claimant’s skills working with wood.

  • Finding: Skills transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited Occupations if Transferable: Grader 669.687-030, Band-Scroll-Saw Operator 667.682-010, Chucking-and-Sawing-Machine Operator 669.682-026.

3. Claimant is of advanced Age (57), with high school education, and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: The claimant performed a job that did not have an occupational counterpart in the DOT. The claimant performed some duties associated with Sales Representative, General Merchandise 279.357-014, Skilled, SVP 5, Light strength; Manager, Department 299.137-010, Skilled, SVP 7, Medium strength; and Wholesaler II 185.157-018, Skilled, SVP 7, Sedentary strength.). Lowest skill level is semiskilled, SVP 5 and highest is skilled, SVP 7. Based on analysis of the tasks performed, considered the job SVP 7, skilled work.

  • Skills: Management of staff in a wholesale warehouse making suggestions about purchases for wholesale inventory, supervising warehouse staff responsible for preparing purchase orders and ensuring orders ship correctly and in a timely manner. Acting as a sales representative to retail business, meeting with buyers and providing samples and demonstrations of available merchandise. Hiring and firing warehouse staff. Ensuring regular and accurate inventories of available merchandise is available.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant has numerous skills that are transferable across industry lines. Given their age and RFC, they do not have to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment standard for transferring skills. Given their skill level and skills, transferability is highly likely.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 292 and 221.

  • Analysis: Searches yield light work that utilizes the claimant’s skills and range between SVP 3 and SVP 7. Given several high-level skills that are transferable across industry lines and a light RFC, skills transfer to the occupations cited. No search of the MPSMS codes was necessary because three occupations were identified in the WF search.

  • Finding: Skills transferable

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited occupations, if transferable: Sales Representative, Recreation and Sporting Goods 277.357-026, Manager, Retail Store 185.167-046, Stock Supervisor 222.137-034.

4. Claimant is of advanced age (59 years, 2 months), with high school education, and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Deputy Sheriff 377.263-010, skilled, SVP 5.

  • Skills: Patrolling designated areas in the county and enforcing the law as necessary, completing reports, responding to emergency calls, directing traffic, making arrests, and writing tickets.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant has skilled work and a light RFC. They are not yet required to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment standard that applies at closely approaching retirement age. Skills are likely to transfer.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 293 and 271. MPSMS 951.

  • Analysis: Searches yield several semiskilled light occupations. There are several semiskilled light occupations that utilize the claimant’s patrolling and reporting skills.

  • Finding: Skills transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited occupations, if transferable: Deputy Sheriff, Building Guard 377.667-014, Deputy Sheriff, Civil Division 377.667-018, Merchant Patroller 372.667-038.

5. Claimant is of advanced age (56), with high school education, and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Electrician 824.261-010, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Wiring ductwork of machinery and equipment using conduit, reading blueprints, welding to fasten ductwork, running wiring, installing control panels, testing connections with voltmeters, installing electronic fixtures using hand and power tools.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant has highly skilled work and does not need to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment standard that would be present beginning at age 60.

  • Searches conducted: WF 111. MPSMS 580.

  • Analysis: Searches yield several semiskilled light occupations that utilize the claimant’s wiring and installing skills. Transferable skills are highly likely and occupations that utilize the claimant’s skills are listed.

  • Finding: Skills transferable.

  • Applicable Rule and Conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited occupations, if transferable: Electrician, Manufactured Buildings 824.681-010, Tester, Electrical Continuity 729.684-058, Wirer, Street Light 821.684-018.

6. Claimant is of advanced age (58), with a high school education, and light RFC

  • PRW with skill level and SVP: Automobile Mechanic 620.261-010, skilled, SVP 7.

  • Skills: Diagnosing damage or malfunction in cars and trucks, using knowledge of what was required to repair damage or malfunction, reading charts, technical manuals, using computers, using hand tools and power tools to make repairs, inspecting and testing repairs.

  • Likelihood skills transfer and why: The claimant has highly skilled work and does not need to meet the very little, if any, vocational adjustment standard for individuals aged 60 with a light RFC. Skills are highly likely to transfer.

  • Search(es) conducted: WF 111 and 121. MPSMS 591.

  • Analysis: Searches yield several semiskilled light occupations that utilize the claimant’s auto repair and inspecting skills.

  • Finding: Skills transferable.

  • Applicable rule and conclusion: 202.07 not disabled.

  • Cited occupations utilizing transferable skills: Final Inspector 806.687-018, New-Car Inspector 919.363-010, Tune-up Mechanic 620.281-066.


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DI 25015.019 - Transferability of Skills Assessment Documentation - 12/05/2023
Batch run: 10/24/2024
Rev:12/05/2023