TS 13033

TS 13033 is a vocational standard for the role of secretary in administrative and management services. It addresses how the profession is defined and classified, and how the required qualities for the role are measured and evaluated. Rather than treating secretarial work as simple clerical support, the standard frames it as a structured office function with professional, behavioural and technical expectations.

What the secretarial role includes in general technical context

In general technical terms, secretarial work commonly involves coordinating communication, handling correspondence, organising meetings, maintaining filing systems and supporting information flow within an office. In management services, the secretary often acts as a key interface that helps keep administrative processes orderly and continuous. That is why accuracy, discretion, time management, organisation and representative communication skills are usually central to the profession. The standard covers this role across different levels and focuses on assessing the qualities associated with those levels.

Why measurement and evaluation matter

A notable feature of this standard is that it does not stop at defining the profession; it also includes the measurement and evaluation of the competencies expected from a secretary. In practical vocational terms, this means professional knowledge, work discipline, communication behaviour and task performance can be considered within a common framework. Standards of this type are useful for training design, job profiling and consistent assessment of role readiness. TS 13033 applies that structured approach to secretarial and administrative support work.

• It defines and classifies the secretarial profession.
• It addresses the qualities required for the role and how they are assessed.
• It considers secretarial work at different levels.
• It refers to tools and equipment used in the profession.
• It is focused on administrative and management services.