Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Christian Victor Bautista | CU’s mission and vision is all about empowering the workforce to embrace their full...... read more read more
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One of Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) most valuable assets are its people who put in the work every single day to service our nation’s Fleet. The workforce are the backbone, their efforts on the deckplate are essential in overhauling our Navy’s warships so they can return to the mission at hand. With more than 10,000 individual’s strong making up the America’s Shipyard family, it’s important to ensure each individual has every opportunity available to develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities – providing a space where they can learn and grow in their careers and become leaders in their field. That is where Command University (CU) shines bright!
CU’s mission and vision is all about empowering the workforce to embrace their full potential by continuously building an engaged and highly competent community, celebrating individual and organizational success through lifelong learning. With a staff comprised of talented individuals with a wealth of knowledge to share, the team provides assistance through various training series, Waypoints management, career counseling, and more.
The trainings provided can stem from all levels of mandatory management and leadership trainings, including first level supervisor high velocity (1LSHV), second level supervisor high velocity (2LSHV), third level management high velocity (3LMHV), Unconscious Bias, Right Thinking, Empowerment, and more. Trainings can range from computer-based to classroom-based, available to both supervisory and non-supervisory leadership within the shipyard. These training programs are built to provide multiple tools to the employee’s arsenal so they can be the best leaders in their field, whether it’s for a supervisory role or for a role that’s more a master of their craft - CU’s staff facilitates and builds these trainings to do that.
There’s also longer form opportunities available through CU that aim to develop those leaders in taking the next step of their career. With programs like the Executive Development Program (EDP), Next Generation Program (NEXTGEN), Journey Level Leadership Program (JLL) and more available to those who are looking for opportunities to explore not only how NNSY does business, but also how Naval Sea Systems Command and other naval entities do business as well. These programs provide those who qualify experiences beyond the shipyard gates, helping to develop them into leaders and exploring what their journey could look like going forward.
In addition to maintaining these training programs, CU also manages Waypoints for NNSY, the learning management system that allows employees to chart out a course for their career. From training management, to IDP implementation, Waypoints offers a one-stop shop for workforce development that caters to each individual’s needs. The team at CU manages the overall program, training individuals weekly on how to utilize the system and build their own training courses for their codes.
Another asset CU provides the workforce is career counselors, who are able to provide both individual and team assessments for the workforce to understand the current state of their career, what paths they would like to take for the future, and what tools they need to get them there. The team provides services to NNSY civilians in all three shifts as well as our detachments at NRMD Kings Bay; Groton, Connecticut; Naval Foundry and Propeller Center in Philadelphia; New York and more.
In the coming months, we’ll be doing a series of articles providing a deep dive into the world of workforce development at NNSY and the efforts CU does to benefit our shipyard workforce, from the various trainings offered, to Waypoints, counseling, and more. To kick off the series, let’s meet the ones who stand ready to help mold the minds of many – the staff of CU. To learn more, visit https://webcentral.nnsy.navy.mil/departments/c900/c900cu/SitePages/Home.aspx.
Meet the Command University Team
Roy Gilbert – Command University Branch Head
Gilbert is a retired Navy Counselor Chief, having served 20 years in active duty where he spent eight of those years as a trained Command Career Counselor and Immediate Superior in Charge (ISIC) for 17 commands. Once he joined NNSY, he climbed the ranks from an outside machinist, to nuclear inspector, training branch head, workforce development specialist, and eventually finding his way to Command University as a training specialist and branch head.
“My areas of responsibility are leadership development, workforce development, and employee development,” said Gilbert. “I oversee all the programs and services for workforce development here at NNSY.”
He continued, “Here’s a thought for you - have you ever gone to a restaurant expecting impeccable service, but what you experienced was deplorable at best? In contrast, you go to a small mom and pop establishment and have a great dining experience? That is the difference and the importance of workforce development. The mission of the restaurant isn’t just to serve you food - but to provide you with good food, quality service and in a timely manner. Our mission to the fleet is more than returning ships to big Navy. Highly developed people perform work with excellence (quality service), safe to operate (good food) and on time (timely manner). It’s not enough to fill all the seats on the bus (have the right manning), we need to make sure everyone is in the right seat (working at full potential) for NNSY to meet our mission in servicing the Fleet.”
Gilbert is very proud of what his team has done so far and is excited to see what they are able to do for the future. “We currently have three goals here in CU. The first is assessing what services we provide in house and are we meeting the demand required to effectively and efficiently develop the employees to help meet the mission. Secondly, there is leadership training that CU previously provided but is now being provided by individual codes that are not technically obligated to train the shipyard at large. We really do appreciate those facilitators that are going the extra mile to serve NNSY. But we realize this is still our responsibility and we are looking into solutions to return to being the hub of that training. The last effort is communication and spreading the word to our employees that CU is the leading resource for workforce and leadership development at NNSY.”
Turner Anthony – Management and Program Analyst; Second Level Supervisor High Velocity (2LSHV) and Third Level Manager High Velocity (3LMHV) Program Manager; Unconscious Bias and Think About It Program Manager
After serving 24 years with the Navy, Anthony eventually made his way to NNSY with a goal to join the ranks of CU after witnessing the staff in action during the “Right Thinking” course in 2015. “Seeing how professional they were and the knowledge and skills they could provide myself and my teammates, I knew that was what I wanted to be part of – helping to facilitate the change at all levels.”
Anthony is the primary Instructional System Designer for all leadership content with CU and feels pride in the work he does. “CU is leadership, it is stretch goals, it is continual paradigm shifting and continual learning, it is setting an example of what right looks like for others to emulate,” he said. “I feel that CU and the work we do truly does a lot of good for our workforce. You see, a complacent workforce does not lean into positive change. If we experience impactful change here at the shipyard, it enables us to impact each other, our shops and codes, NNSY as a whole and meet our Navy mission. It’s all encompassing. And we’re helping make that happen.”
Mike Lovejoy – Management and Program Analyst; Evaluation Program Manager and Instructional Systems Design Team; NNSY Representative, Corporate Standardized Competency-Based Leadership Curriculum
Lovejoy has been part of the NNSY team for 20 years, his career starting off as a helper trainee in the Inside Machine Shop (Shop 31). He was an Apprentice Program honor graduate and continued his work in Shop 31N as a work leader before joining Code 900T to be a nuclear cleanliness instructor. With his continued efforts in workforce development, Lovejoy eventually joined the CU team.
“I love learning. My goal from the beginning was to end up in training and share my enthusiasm for learning through teaching which naturally evolved into embracing a whole person development outlook the more I learned,” said Lovejoy. “To me, CU represents some of the most caring and hard-working individuals, dedicated to their customers’ needs whether that entails leader development or all the services the career counselors provide. It’s not often you see people participating in their third week of training and still just as enthusiastic to be there as they were on day one. We’ve got an amazing team here!”
Lovejoy’s work includes some exciting ventures, including the development of a true corporate, standardized competency-based leadership curriculum based on the Civilian Leader Development Continuum. “A huge focus of this initiative starts with LEAD SELF, ensuring leader development starts on day one when a person enters the shipyard,” said Lovejoy.
He is also working on the implementation of a readiness based leader development system, with its focus on preparing a leader as much as possible for their next leadership role rather than waiting to gain those skills afterwards. “Often learning activities that exist in everyday work along with planned development opportunities go unnoticed,” he explained. “To help with this, the team worked to develop a repository of over 300 experience/exposure actions that can be used as singular opportunities or as Individual Development Plan (IDP) activities.”
In addition to his workforce development efforts, Lovejoy also is the resident artist and graphic designer for CU. “Anytime there’s a visual needed, my teammates know that I have their back,” said Lovejoy. “I’ve done numerous projects such as posters and an updated logo for the team.”
Lovejoy notes how excited he is for the future of CU. “We want to reintroduce ourselves to the shipyard, showcasing what we can do to assist our workforce in gaining those skills needed as they continue their career journey,” he said. “We’re going to build up our staff, build branches within CU to best establish our focus areas, and be able to better evaluate our program effectiveness overall and what we can build in to improve our efforts. It’s a big task and we’re ready to see it through!”
Shelly Simpson - Management and Program Analyst; NNSY Waypoints Deployment Coordinator; Competency Management Specialist; Advanced Leadership Development Program Manager
Simpson joined the NNSY workforce as a member of CU, building up 20 years of workforce development experience through her career. Her roles include leading the implementation of Waypoints at NNSY and working corporately with the other public shipyards and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA 04X) to ensure Waypoints is being used effectively across our naval platforms. In addition, she provides competency management support for workforce development as well as provides leadership development program information for NNSY eligible employees to participate in.
“At CU, our mission states that we ‘empower the workforce to embrace their full potential,’” said Simpson. “We possess the needed resources, programs and trainings for the NNSY workforce to reach their full potential within our areas of responsibility.”
She continued, “NNSY must continue to evolve to be competitive with the workforce beyond our gates, both publicly and privately. Workforce Development must be important to the mechanic on the deckplate to the Commanding Officer. Providing a Workforce Development plan through self-development, continuous education, and upskilling resources will empower NNSY to adapt to the changing job requirements and system advancements. We’re here to help make that happen.”
Beverly Gaston - Management and Program Analyst; First Level Supervisor High Velocity (1LSHV) Support Program Manager
Gaston, a retired Chief Petty Officer from the Navy with 24 years of service, wanted to continue to provide training to new facilitators. She soon found herself at NNSY in Code 900T as an instructor and then among the ranks of CU. “I always wanted to go back to my leadership facilitation roots and sought out an avenue to do so,” said Gaston. “I was very intrigued by civilian leadership and dug right in to make change at NNSY with CU.”
She is the program manager for the 1LSHV Support Program, which has a shorter duration to the production program and focuses heavily on bringing in speakers to share their feedback with the students so they can utilize what they’ve learned in their careers. “We want to be able to mentor our employees and provide them the feedback they need,” she said.
Steve Gabriele - Leadership Coach; Workleader Program Manager and Analyst; Foundations of Leadership Program Manager and Analyst
Gabriele started out his shipyard career as an apprentice, first in Shop 41 and then in Shop 56. Through his 27-year career, his days in production eventually led him to become an instructor for Code 900T, then a training specialist overall before taking his place in CU.
“I am the Foundations of Leadership Program Manager and the Work Leader High Velocity Program Manager,” said Gabriele. “I facilitate various training modules in support of multiple CU training programs. CU provided a training opportunity for me to become a Leadership Coach. I now provide coaching for those looking to leverage their strengths or increase their proficiency in their competencies.”
Gabriele continued, “I believe that my experiences and longevity at NNSY allow me to relate to the younger, up and coming workforce. I have always had a strong desire to help people succeed. My CU teammates feel the same way. Workforce development is important not only to the individuals of this workforce but to the overall mission in servicing our fleet. We must recognize our potential, set goals, and strive to achieve them. By becoming the best ‘us’ we can be, we can best serve in our mission to the Fleet.”
Gabriele says he's excited for the future of CU and it's continued growth and being part of the journey. "We're going to bring in more staff and open more learning and development opportunities and services for our shipyard - it's an exciting time for NNSY CU! I can't wait to see what's next!"
Dave Randall - National Career Development Certified Career Counselor
Randall retired from the Navy after 30 years of service, his career soon turning to NNSY where he took a position teaching nuclear training with Code 900T. He eventually joined CU as one of the leadership development facilitators for all levels of leadership at NNSY, and then turned to career counseling. Randall joined the team developing the NNSY Career Counselor organization to help employees throughout the shipyard to take charge of their own career. In 2022, NNSY officially began providing in-person counseling services.
“One of our goals as counselors is ensuring information is more easily accessible to every employee and to empower them to take their career into their own hands,” said Randall. “Some of the ways we assist include: sharing career and developmental opportunities throughout all phases of a career, providing assessments, helping employees identify career options, helping employees locate resources applicable to career options, helping employees determine their career path next steps, helping achieve goals by creating a development plan, and preparing a person for future positions by providing resume assistance and interview preparations. We service all NNSY employees as well as employees at other NNSY commands including Kings Bay, Philadelphia, and more. Wherever our people are working, we’re ready to provide whatever they need.”
When asked why workforce development is so important, Randall shared, “one of our oldest mottos at NNSY is ‘any ship, any time, anywhere.’ The ability to meet the mission requires a highly skilled constantly developing workforce who is good at repairing the ships and submarines we have now and also prepared for the challenges of new ships and even new projects. Who knows, we may move from warships to spaceships. We’ve got to ensure our team is ready and has the right tools to succeed at whatever comes our way.”
Lauren Warne - National Career Development Certified Career Counselor; Individual Development Plan (IDP) Initiative Program Manager; FLTHRO Training Liaison; Advanced Leadership Development Program Support Team; Contracting Officer Representative
Warne has been with NNSY for 26 years, starting her career as a fabric worker apprentice, promoting to workleader before working as a training instructor, and with the apprentice program administration. When the NNSY Career Counselor Program was coming to fruition, she was looking for a change and was able to join Randall in the organization to launch it at America’s Shipyard.
“Whether it was mentoring mechanics as a work leader, teaching new skills as an instructor, or assisting new employees beginning their career through the apprentice program, I have always had an enthusiasm for helping others,” said Warne. “This experience has allowed me to combine all the knowledge, skills, and abilities I’ve accumulated and leverage them to empower others to take charge of their own careers. It’s very fulfilling work, especially when you hear back from a client who excitedly shares their success. I also appreciate the professional development that I am gaining along the way to enhance the services we provide to NNSY employees. Dave’s ‘military raised’ and my ‘shipyard raised’ backgrounds complement each other to create a well-rounded team.”
In addition to career counseling, Warne and Randall lead up NNSY’s Individual Development Plan (IDP) Initiative, where individuals tailor an action plan that describes their goals and activities for their career development. They help spread awareness of the program's requirements, builds training aids, facilitates monthly briefs, and also conducts individual conversations to best service the workforce in this area.
“Workforce development ensures that employees maintain the relevant level of job proficiency through continued training and developmental activities,” said Warne. “What we do supports organization mission and workforce planning needs, while also boosting competent employee performance, improving morale, and personal job satisfaction overall.”
Javon Stevenson - Administrative Assistance; Program Management; Requisition Management
Stevenson’s journey at NNSY began seven and a half years ago as a Sheet Metal Apprentice. In his fourth year, he got the opportunity to join the COVID Management Team during the height of the pandemic as a COVID Case Counselor. From there, he was able to step into a role at CU to aid the team on the back end of operations, including building a system for space requests within the new training facility and assisting in events like the first NNSY Tech Showcase in 2023.
“I’m a Swiss-army knife, a jack-of-all-trades,” said Stevenson. “I manage all of the tech in our classrooms, handle the requisition and delegation of all materials required for our training, and various behind-the-scenes contributions, such as developing marketing materials, course scheduling, classroom setup and command university's unofficial motivational figure.”
Stevenson continued, “My position doesn’t directly involve developing others, but I always jump at the chance to do so! I enjoy hearing the ambitions of others, as it motivates me to continue to work towards my own aspirations, and I in turn motivate my peers in the process. It’s even more rewarding to see someone grow into something greater. As the youngest in CU, I am truly fortunate to be surrounded by people who have been pivotal not only in my own development, but the development of NNSY as a whole. I use the knowledge and guidance they’ve provided me to pay forward unto others.”
He says that CU is a great place to work because it empowers the workforce to embrace their full potential. “Our organization benefits most from the development of our people, helping them succeed in what they do,” said Stevenson. “When you place effort to ensure your team has what they need to succeed, they’ll be able to take pride in supporting the naval fleet. We’re all in this together!”
John Boyd - Management and Program Analyst; First Level Supervisor High Velocity (1LSHV) Production Program Manager; Lead Facilitator
Boyd has been with NNSY for 13 years where he began working as an electronics mechanic on the waterfront. Soon, he was offered an opportunity to join Code 900T as an electrical instructor teaching corporate cableway training, electrical safety, breakers removal and installation, and stud-gun utilization. His training efforts continued, eventually leading him to join the ranks of CU where he serves as the program manager for 1LSHV.
“In my 20 years of Naval service, most of my career was in leadership positions and I have learned over the years that an organization's successes and failures rise and fall on leadership’s ability to lead their people,” said Boyd.
“1LSHV is a training we developed utilizing the 70/20/10 model, with 10 percent in the classroom for three weeks, 20 percent from mentor and coaching opportunities, and 70 percent on-the-job experience. It’s my responsibility to schedule out the class and coordinate with the CU leadership facilitators and outside facilitators like human resources, safety and more to provide our students the most value within the program. Once we get through the classroom portion, each employee is then given a leadership development qualification card so that during six weeks before their graduation they will continue their development journey. They will be shadowed on the job to identify proficiency at tasking, attend panels where they can identify areas of improvement, and receive coaching to get them on the right path forward in their next step of their careers.” As a lead facilitator, he's directly responsible for facilitating leadership at all levels of supervision and management - from first level supervisors, second level supervisors, and third level management.
Mike Glass - Management and Program Analyst; NNSY Waypoints Divisional Administrator; Civilian Leadership Development (CLDP) Metrics Program Manager; Command University SharePoint POC
Glass is a retired Navy Fire Controlman Chief who served 22 years in active duty, eight of those years as a trained instructor with his Master Training Specialist (MTS) qualification. When he joined the ranks of NNSY, he started out as an engineering technician in Code 228, helping to establish the newly created code to provide training to all of Code 200. In 2017, Glass was provided the opportunity to join CU as the assistant program manager for 1LSHV training. Today, he is the Waypoints System Administrator, Metrics Program Manager and CU SharePoint Administrator.
“My roles have me heavily involved with not only NNSY but with the other public shipyards and NAVSEA 04X,” said Glass. “With Waypoints, in addition to implementing this learning management system at NNSY, we also work corporately with everyone to ensure alignment, to establish lessons learned, and to grow in how we do business. In the CLDP Metrics program, I provide NAVSEA as well as our shipyard leadership with all the information pertaining to the training of all leadership in the shipyard to show where we are on track, what areas need more attention, and more. All in all, our roles benefit our mission here at CU – where we help provide effective and efficient development opportunities to our workforce.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2024 06:45 |
| Story ID: | 470217 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 224 |
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This work, Those Who Mold the Minds of Many: Command University Stands Ready to Develop Our Workforce, by Kristi R Britt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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