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Force development includes civilians

17 Jul 2004 |

Career civilian employees will soon have more focused career guidance and expanded opportunities because of a new initiative taking place at the Air Force Personnel Center here this summer.

Civilian career field management is a part of force development that will align civilian and military career fields to develop future leaders.

"This is a big change in Air Force civilian career management," said Gregory Den Herder, the center’s executive director. "We've realigned civilian management to provide a systematic approach to developing and sustaining the civilian workforce.

"The foundations of (the new program) were already in place within our civilian career program directorate,” he said. “Now we've tied development, analysis and employment together."

Under the new program, all civilian positions have been assigned to a specific career field similar to military specialties. Each career field will have a career path that helps employees determine where to go or what to do to advance in their careers.

Similar to the officer corps, civilian career fields have development teams located at the personnel center. Twenty-four teams will fill positions and manage specific career fields.

The new program will enhance current opportunities for civilian professional education, advanced academic degrees, broader assignment experiences and upward mobility, personnel officials said. It will also identify cross-functional paths to expose civilians to a broader scope of operational activities to prepare them for senior-leadership positions.

"The main goal ... is to ensure that the right employee gets to the right job with the right skills," Mr. Den Herder said. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)