Training in the Public Sector
ASTD produces content that is highly relevant to the processes, challenges, and goals of the public sector. Below, you will find a list of related articles and publications. All articles are free for members and available for a small fee to nonmembers. Other publications can also be purchased through the ASTD Store.
'Old' is new again
T+D magazine, December 2007
The Taskforce on the Aging of the American Workforce is due to present a report on aging workers that covers employers' response to aging workers/skilled worker shortages, individual employment opportunities, and legal and regulatory issues related to work and retirement. The article summarizes the draft recommendations from this report and mentioned reports from AARP which examine the demographic and economic trends of the maturing workforce. In a sidebar, the creation of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, a newly formed and funded partnership is described.
Use Public Tools for Career Success
ASTD Infoline, June 2007
This Infoline contains ideas and resources for funding organizational training programs through both federal and local sources. It includes information on applying for and writing grants, locating tax incentives for employee training, and on the public workforce system and related legislation. It contains a grant glossary. The Job Aid is a Public Sector Checklist.
Virtual Threat, Real Sweat
T+D magazine, May 2007
While the use of simulations is growing in general, significant growth is being seen in training emergency response personnel. This article explains how various local emergency response teams are using simulations and computer-based games as an additional training delivery mode.
The Trained Eye
T+D magazine, January 2007
The aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the prevention of future terrorist attacks has challenged security officers and law enforcement agencies to ramp up training techniques and strategies. An outcry of concern about profiling specific ethnic groups has also increased. Yet security trainers insist that profiling is not taking place. Assessing any individual requires making educated guesses about someone’s dress along with their mannerisms and most importantly, their reason for being in a particular place. Because U.S. law enforcement lacks a history of training to prevent terrorist attacks, many government agencies and airport authorities have sought out Israeli counterterrorism experts to retrain security officials on how to recognize and respond to potential terrorist threats.
Public Sector Training
T+D magazine, July 2006
Commitment to training in the public sector is similar to the private sector--support from the top influences how much training and for whom it is provided. The aftermath of several national disasters has put a new level of importance on training for police, fire, utilities and emergency workers. This article covers the steps these groups are taking to improve training, to manage with fewer employees, and to use technology to its fullest.
Eliminate the Skills Gap
T+D magazine, February 2006
Workforce shortage? Skills gap? Or both? These are the core issues discussed in this article. Differing viewpoints on the real issues and how to resolve them are offered. Organizations need to determine skills gaps and how to manage this problem. Two state level programs are profiled.
Thinking Big
T+D magazine, December 2005
This interview with Bernard Lord, Premier of New Brunswick, Canada outlines how the provincial government has become a major advocate of employee training and development to support economic growth. Under Lord's direction, a 10-year action plan, the Quality Learning Agenda has been created to address education at all levels. The goal is to ensure that New Brunswick prepares its workforce to meet the economic needs of its region and to reduce the skills gaps of its workforce.
Emergency Training Takes Center Stage
T+D magazine
This article reports on the importance of emergency response teams in disasters and crises and the professionalism of the emergency responders. With the increased need for and interest in security training, the work of several organizations is highlighted—FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Georgia Department of Public Health’s East Central Health District. Each of these organizations and others noted in the article, have teamed up with e-learning providers to meet this growing demand for specialized training.
Commanding Center
T+D magazine, June 2005
Solutions.This article reports on the experiences of Civilian Police International (CPI) and its work with the National Conference Center where it holds many of its training programs for emerging, international civilian police forces.
A Conversation with Robert E. Knowling Jr. CEO of the NYC Leadership Academy
T+D magazine, November 2004
In this interview Bob Knowling, CEO and teacher-in-chief of the NYC Leadership Academy, shares why he decided to leave a leadership position in the high-tech field to take on this new challenge. One of his goals is to turn school principals into change agents by using techniques from the corporate world.
Online Training, On Time
T+D magazine, August 2003
This article offers a vendor-provided case study on how the US Postal Service was able to train 130,00 workers on email and other software organizers.
