TALENT MANAGEMENT
Participants tend to be in the middle stages of their careers. For its entry- level employees, the center maintains a complementary job rotation and training program designed to foster mission buy-in and retention.
In some cases, employees are simply cross-training, rather than being entirely retrained, so they can apply their skills in a wider variety of mission sets. Bowers noted that in addition to the demands of new systems, the center’s increasing use of automated software testing to improve code quality and reduce errors was driv- ing the need to retrain employees. “Many of our employees specialized in manually testing software, but that need will dimin- ish over time,” she said.
ON THE JOB When students complete the classroom training, they move on to the “hands-on” practitioner component of the program, which is expected to last roughly 60 to 120 days. Depending on a student’s progress, he or she may receive additional classroom training or over-the-shoulder instruction with an assigned expert. Most people learn by doing, and the hands-on component of the program is designed to support reten- tion by empowering employees to see the fruits of their labors firsthand.
Within the program, every student is also assigned a learning objectives readi- ness assessment that tracks their progress, Bowers said. Such assessments ensure that students are prepared for the rigors of what comes next. Supervisors also work closely with the experts to place employ- ees into permanent positions in which they are most likely to be challenged, grow and thrive.
“It’s not just about the training, it’s about the follow-through,” Bowers said. “We’re giving them the long-term support they
Training FY 2020
REALIGNING EMPLOYEE SKILLS 2020
2021 2022
Training FY 2021 DEV
Skill Completion TRAINING CYCLE
The Software Engineering Center is retraining its employees in the skills they will need to maintain dozens of systems that the center is scheduled to begin supporting in the next several years. (Graphic by Gary Nasuta, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Software Engineering Center)
Skill Completion
need to be successful. It’s about doing things with intention and driving home what they learned.”
CONCLUSION While the retraining program is still in its early stages of implementation, employee feedback and program uptake thus far have been promising, Zbozny said. As the center’s mission set becomes more complex and diverse, it will evaluate whether new skills gaps are emerging and adjust the program to meet those changes.
Zbozny noted the program aligns perfectly with the No. 1 priority of Gen. James C. McConville, Army chief of staff: people. When other Army organizations find themselves lacking in needed skill sets for new technologies, she advises them to look inward and consider investing in the potential of their existing workforce.
“Te ultimate goal is to create a culture of continuous learning, curiosity and exper- imentation in which employees find real satisfaction and room to grow,” she said. “On the 21st-century battlefield, our Soldiers will only be as effective as the professionals at home who are empow- ering them with software readiness. Tis program is a vote of confidence in our people.”
For more information, go to the Software Engineering Center website at https://
cecom.army.mil/sec.
JACOB KRISS is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Army Communications- Electronics Command. He holds an M.S. in public relations from Syracuse University and a B.A. in English from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.
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