Energy employees get new online training program
Online education system will serve 15,000 agency employees and 10,000 contractors.
A new online training program for 25,000 Energy Department employees and contractors aims to consolidate two older training systems, reduce administrative costs and eliminate inconsistencies.
The agency finished installing content from the old systems - an off-the-shelf system and a custom-made program - and trained employees and systems administrators to use it in less than 60 days, according to Plateau Systems, the Arlington, Va.-based contractor for the program.
About 15,000 agency employees and 10,000 contractors spread around the country from the four Strategic Petroleum Reserve sites in the Gulf of Mexico to the nuclear weapons facility Pantex near Amarillo, Texas, will use the Internet-based program.
According to Scott Byrnes, Plateau's director of corporate communications, every Energy Department employee will use the system, from "line-level employees to senior management."
Programs developed by the agency using the Plateau system give the employees further education. As the civil service ages, Byrnes said educational programs within agencies will become more prevalent to maintain qualified workers in positions that require a thorough understanding of laws and regulations.
"This answers, 'What do I need to do to develop that person so that they will be ready to take over when that person retires?' " Byrnes said. " 'How do they rate as far as their skills and competencies? Do they have gaps in their skills?' "
The cost of the program was not made available, but Byrnes said it will save money and that older training programs were becoming too costly to maintain. The online program will be supplemented with classroom time.
As part of the agency's contract with Plateau, the company will provide materials and program licenses for each employee using the system. Plateau also provides educational services and material to eight of the 15 cabinet-level agencies, including the departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs.
The contract was awarded under the Office of Personnel Management's GoLearn contract, which is one of the e-government programs in the President's Management Agenda.