WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- New online training courses are available to help smooth the upcoming transition of more than 15,000 current Air Force Materiel Command National Security Personnel System employees into the General Schedule Personnel System.
Courses are required for all AFMC supervisors of NSPS employees, as announced by AFMC Commander Gen. Donald J. Hoffman during the recent AFMC Senior Leader Conference held at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in late April.
"We feel strongly that supervisors need to have the information and be prepared to address questions from their employees," said Sherre Collier, AFMC NSPS Transition Office program manager.
In addition, the courses are of benefit to current General Schedule employees, as well as employees transitioning out of NSPS back to GS.
The training courses are on the NSPS Transition Community of Practice and include "Classifying Positions under GS: A Primer for Supervisors," "Performance Management: A Tool to Achieve Results," and "GS 101."
Advantages to taking the course on the AFMC site are electronic registration and electronic updates to civilian employee personnel and training records. Employees can print certificates for their own personnel records, according to Ms. Collier.
Completing the courses through the CoP will automatically update civilian personnel training records in DCPDS along with ETMC Web (for both civilian employees and military members). Civilian employees do not have to update their completed training in DCPDS via Self-Service, My BIZ Training.
In "Classifying Positions under GS: A Primer for Supervisors," supervisors are shown how to write and certify the duties and responsibilities of a position, as well as how to explain the classification process to employees.
To assist with writing the core documents, supervisors can use the Air Force Standard Core Personnel Document library, located in the Air Force Portal. The growing SCPD library currently includes more than 1,000 standardized classification documents, as well as templates for supervisors.
"Performance Management: A Tool to Achieve Results" is designed as a guide for supervisors to effectively involve their employees in accomplishing the Air Force mission. From setting proper goals to rating and rewarding performance, this training course sets the foundation for evaluating employee performance.
The third course required by AFMC is "GS 101," an introductory training that provides information on the structure and features of the GS system, covering topics from pay and promotion to appraisals and career development.
AFMC supervisors should complete all three courses by Aug. 2, 2010. The transition out of NSPS is a result of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. The NDAA contained a provision that repealed NSPS and required the transition of employees out of NSPS no later than Jan. 1, 2012. DOD and the Air Force plan to transition the majority of the NSPS workforce to GS by the end of this fiscal year.
To access the NSPS Transition CoP, enter the AF Portal and click on "Communities" at the top of the page, look under the AFKC Social Search for "Find a CoP" and type "AFMC NSPS Transition." Once on the CoP, follow the instructions to take the courses. Before launching the courses, it's necessary to allow pop-ups.
For more information, visit the NSPS Transition CoP, contact you training manager, or contact the local civilian personnel section.