Peter Baker’s reskilling and upskilling temporary assignment led to a permanent position where he has expanded his expertise. (Photo by Gay Pinder, CECOM SEC)
CECOM SEC USES TALENT MANAGEMENT TO KEEP PACE WITH THE ARMY’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND MODERNIZATION
by Teresa Manganaro
As technological advancements accelerate exponentially, the integration and evolution of software within the U.S. Army are critical to maintaining a strategic edge. Soldiers rely heavily on sophisticated software systems for navigation, drone operation, weapon systems, sensor data analysis and communication networks. This is the key focus for the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Center (SEC) as it strives to fulfill the Army’s digital transformation and modernization strategies with a fully trained and prepared workforce in advanced technologies, such as cloud computing, data digitization and artificial intelligence (AI).
As CECOM SEC expert software professionals pioneer the future of software for national security, the CECOM SEC talent management team ensures the workforce possesses the developmental resources and tools they need to succeed in today’s transforming digital environment. CECOM SEC has developed a robust talent management program targeting software professionals, applying continuous innovation and employee development to enable personnel to play a key role in keeping the Army’s software capabilities aligned with technological trends and operational readiness. CECOM SEC’s program guarantees the organization’s internal talent remains up to date, on point and adaptable for essential Army operational effectiveness and survivability.
The CECOM SEC talent management portfolio offers a comprehensive range of learning solutions tailored to address diverse organizational needs. It includes an updated, on-the-job reskilling and upskilling program, strategic partnerships with universities for advanced degree programs and self-paced online training platforms. This combination of experiential learning opportunities and structured coursework ensures that employees develop the necessary skills across multiple functions, enhancing overall workforce capability and adaptability.
“CECOM SEC’s large number of workforce development initiatives demonstrate the organization’s strong commitment to equipping employees with the tools they need to grow continuously and succeed in their roles,” said Talent Management Team Lead Jared Craig.
The recently enhanced reskilling and upskilling program commenced in the fall of 2023 and is a significant initiative that provides employees with the opportunity to learn new skills and expand upon technical competencies through developmental assignments in different mission areas. These hands-on opportunities offer numerous benefits for both employees and CECOM SEC. By cross-training with colleagues who are functional experts in advanced or emerging technologies, employees broaden their capabilities and future career options. This program sets the stage for CECOM SEC to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving technological landscape and retain its competitive edge.
To implement, CECOM SEC leaders identify rotational opportunities that are offered to the workforce under the reskilling and upskilling program and align with CECOM SEC’s future core capabilities, such as AI and business intelligence, development, security and operations (DevSecOps), and electronic warfare capabilities to strengthen organizational readiness with software modernization. The talent management team hosts an open house event twice annually, where CECOM SEC directorates showcase their open opportunities. This enables employees to gain a deeper understanding of the supported systems, the work being conducted and the necessary skills required to perform the job effectively. Then, the workforce applies for rotational opportunities to participate in assignments ranging from six to 12 months. During the rotations, supervisors provide descriptive learning objectives that keep participants on point and ensure sufficient reskilling and upskilling accomplishments are met. CECOM SEC has already reskilled 18 members of its workforce using this updated process and is preparing for the next round of rotations with 19 applicants being considered for new opportunities resulting from the summer 2025 open house event.
Colleagues and representatives meet to discuss opportunities at the summer reskilling and upskilling open house. (Photo Kevin Deegan, CECOM SEC)
Peter Baker, a senior computer scientist in CECOM SEC, participated in the reskilling program in 2024. He stated, “I attended the CECOM SEC reskilling open house out of curiosity. I wanted to learn about the other groups in CECOM SEC’s projects. I stopped at every station to ask questions, familiarized myself with the people and their missions. The opportunities appeared interesting, so I applied to participate with the hope that maybe I could expand my skills and my connections.”
CECOM SEC looks forward to additional success stories just like those they’ve experienced since the inception of the updated program. Baker, who already possessed an extensive background in full-stack development, was interested in taking on a new challenge and broadening his skills and job knowledge. He then participated in a reskilling assignment where he learned how to modernize computer systems as a systems architect, creating the automation infrastructure for the entire directorate on a larger scale and scope. He also contributed several new ideas and concepts to the project completion processes. The result of his rotation not only led to the development of his advanced skills but also improved the skills of his new colleagues and their internal processes using a new, agile approach. Baker ultimately was reassigned to the Intelligence Support Division, becoming a permanent member of the team.
“The experience was positive in every way. I developed some new skills in container development and software pipelines. I worked on development teams with diverse perspectives, and the people were open to the solutions I could bring to the table. Ultimately, I found a new home. The reskill opportunity transitioned into a new permanent position where I can contribute my expertise and newly developed skills to projects I find interesting and rewarding,” Baker said.
“As CECOM SEC transforms to meet the Army’s modernization priorities, our reskilling and upskilling program is not just valuable—it’s essential. It ensures we stay equipped with the right skills, close knowledge gaps and remain agile in delivering meaningful solutions to those we serve,” CECOM SEC Executive Director Garrett Shoemaker said.
In addition to the reskilling program, traditional training also has a place in CECOM SEC’s talent management portfolio. The organization integrates hands-on, practical application with traditional textbook instruction to ensure that those being developed obtain a thorough understanding of the theory behind the work, so they can sufficiently absorb and then apply the knowledge to their job. CECOM SEC aims for these two types of instruction to coincide for a thorough understanding of the material.
CECOM SEC implements instructor-led training following an annual needs assessment to ascertain talent requirements and identify skill gaps. Areas of prioritized classroom training have an intentional purpose. They may include requirements such as Systems, Applications and Products, targeting the workforce within CECOM SEC’s Army Shared Services Center, or AI and machine learning that are planned for multiple requirements throughout the Center.
CECOM SEC also has a rigorous degree and certificate training program where they build and maintain partnerships with academia to enable the workforce to grow and develop leading-edge technologies. CECOM SEC partners with Towson University (TU) and Harford Community College (HCC) to offer degrees and certificates relevant to the organization’s identified needs and priorities. Ten CECOM SEC employees are enrolled in the TU master’s program in computer science with a cyber focus and will graduate in December 2025. Another six employees are enrolled in the HCC data science certificate program, and 42 are scheduled to begin the HCC program in the latter part of fiscal year 2025. The next advancement in degree opportunities involves transitioning the TU master’s program from computer science to data science. The CECOM SEC workforce may apply to the program in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2026.
Being a part of a cohort in the degree and certificate programs has advantages for the employees and CECOM SEC. “We continuously collect names of participants who are interested in advanced training, allowing them to contribute to the organization with more valuable competencies,” Craig said.
Self-paced technical training is another popular training mechanism among the CECOM SEC workforce, as it’s designed with busy professionals in mind. The organization currently utilizes training platform tools, such as Pluralsight and the Army’s Udemy portal, which offer thousands of high-quality online training opportunities. These self-paced training platforms highlight the development of competencies in various advanced technical areas, enabling CECOM SEC to maintain a modernized technical workforce as employee skills evolve with technology and meet customer expectations. To keep the training curriculum aligned with organizational requirements, the talent management team has orchestrated tailored learning paths dedicated to the Army’s top data digitization skill priorities that include topics such as design thinking, DevOps/DevSecOps, model-based systems engineering/mission engineering and cloud computing (infrastructure as a service, platform as a service or software as a service). CECOM SEC’s talent management team, along with supervisory staff, continuously encourages the workforce to participate in self-paced training, which can be incorporated into individual development plans and annual performance objectives for the technical workforce. CECOM SEC also holds periodic training stand-downs, where the workforce can set aside work-based priorities and specifically focus on training and development during those afternoons.
CECOM SEC finds unique ways to encourage employee training participation. CECOM SEC partnered with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology in a pilot program providing 250 employees upgraded access to Udemy, adding laboratories and workspaces to demonstrate value for the entire Engineering and Technical Management (ETM) Army Acquisition Workforce. CECOM SEC exhibited its value during two Udemy skill assessment challenges over the past year, with CECOM SEC taking first place in both challenges and ranked highest in participation out of the entire Army ETM workforce within the pilot. Implementing these skill assessment challenges encourages workforce utilization and enhances learning through virtual training platforms.
As new software development requirements and services emerge, so will the training opportunities CECOM SEC will make available. By investing in talent management, the organization ensures its mission to provide the highest level of software readiness for the Army and its customers.
“A more skilled workforce makes us more marketable to our customers as we move toward a more reimbursable business model. We also have a flexible program framework to reskill/upskill personnel as needed to fit the needs of our customers,” Craig said.
For more information, go to https://www.cecom.army.mil/SEC.
TERESA MANGANARO is the branch chief of human resources (HR) at CECOM SEC. She has over 25 years of HR experience across diverse private and public sector organizations. She holds an M.S. in human resources administration from the University of Scranton and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute.
