Jenn DeHaan | Fort Knox News
FORT KNOX, Ky. – A newly restarted Fort Knox Garrison workforce development program that has been helping its supervisors become better leaders will soon also benefit all employees seeking to improve.
Deputy Garrison Commander Jim Bradford said while workforce development efforts have always been a priority, getting someone in place to head things up was key.
“We used to have a program and a workforce development specialist,” said Bradford.
He explained although the position had to be eliminated for a time due to a number of reasons – to include cutbacks during the pandemic – the hiring of Laurie Majcher has reestablished the program.
“I’ve worked for the government for 27 years,” said Majcher. “This is the one place that I have been that is providing additional [training] for our civilians, because where else are they going to get that?
“I think what we do is really valuable.”
According to Majcher, one of her top priorities in the new position is to gauge exactly what it is the Fort Knox civilian workforce wants most out of individual training. She said the biggest way employees can influence how these efforts benefit them is to watch their email for a unique questionnaire.
“I created a training needs assessment that I sent out to the workforce,” said Majcher. “It asked, ‘What is it you would like to see?’ to find out what more they wanted. It then assessed the needs of the supervisors as far as what their skill level is.
“What kind of skills do they already have, and what types of skills do we need to build on?”
Majcher said she sent the assessment out at the beginning of August in hopes of using their answers to help her make a plan for future training. Currently, the program is focusing on training supervisors. By next year, however, it will be for all Garrison employees.
Bradford said he’s also eager to hear from the workforce.
“We’ll get bottom-up feedback through these assessments and be able to say, ‘Here’s what our team is saying they need,’” said Bradford. “Then we can create a program that would get after that training.”
Once the assessments are analyzed, leadership can work on putting together ways for all civilian employees to expand within their career, Bradford said. There is a twofold goal with the program.
“The objective is a duality: things that management wants, and things that employees want,” said Bradford. “Then we find that happy medium.”
Another aspect of the program is how it will offer training location options. Bradford said leadership recognizes some employees may have a desire to travel to other venues for training events, while others may be unable to leave the area due to family or other obligations.
“We want to create opportunities where our employees, teammates and peers are able to grow and expand professionally, as well as personally, as much as they want,” said Bradford. “I want people to go, ‘I want an opportunity to do a fellowship. I want an opportunity to lead or manage others.’”
Bradford said by offering a multitude of different ways to receive training, civilians can have access to what interests them, regardless of their situation. Majcher pointed out that next year, those wishing to further their career education at Fort Knox will have a rare chance to do so.
“[The Civilian Education System] is coming here next year,” said Majcher. “We’re trying to bring things here that will help our workforce expand so they can move up in their positions.”
CES provides formal leadership education normally for civilians up through senior executive service levels. Majcher said hosting CES courses at Fort Knox in 2022 will be beneficial to several employees at the installation, giving them the chance to receive in-person training rather than online.
Workforce development will continue to be an ongoing effort at the Fort Knox Garrison, according to Bradford. Those who use it will determine its effectiveness:
“This is about creating better experiences, and being able to take those experiences and make us more knowledgeable of what our overall mission and objectives are.”
Bradford said he hopes as the program evolves, it will motivate employees to grow within their careers, seek out chances to continue moving up the ranks, and especially to gain insight.
“As a civilian professional, said Bradford, “we should strive to gain more knowledge, to be more experienced, and to understand our role, not just at the installation but in the Army.”
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2021 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 402948 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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