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Article 21
Training and Lifelong Learning
Section 1. General
The Department and Local 12 agree that employees of the Department are its
most valuable asset and a special workforce established to meet the needs of
American workers everywhere. As such, DOL bargaining unit employees are part of
a workplace that supports lifelong learning, self-growth, and professional
development. Accordingly, the Department and Local 12 agree that training and
career enhancement of bargaining unit employees are important objectives for
reaching the parties’ goal of a highly skilled and representative workforce. The
Department and Local 12 also agree that bargaining unit employee input is
essential to the successful development and implementation of training programs.
Thus, it is the policy of the Department that bargaining unit employees shall have
the opportunity to develop and advance to their full potential.
Training remains an assignment of work and is based on organizational needs.
a. Consistent with the Department’s mission and within budgetary constraints,
and in keeping with the principles of equal employment opportunity,
Management will develop and implement progressive programs, policies,
and strategies designed to enhance job skills and knowledge to:
(1) Aid bargaining unit employees in improving their performance in their
current positions and in new or changed positions resulting from
organizational and technological changes;
(2) Provide an internal pool of qualified candidates for consideration for
anticipated future vacancies in the Department; and
(3) Provide general career mobility opportunities within the Department.
b. The parties recognize that bargaining unit employees may develop and
enhance their current job skills and career opportunities in a number of
different ways, both formal and informal.
c. Each bargaining unit employee is entitled to develop an Individual
Development Plan (IDP) in conjunction with their supervisor and discuss
their interest(s) with any or all available resources, including: Human
Resource Offices, Agency Training Officers, career counselors, IDP
coordinators, employee development specialists, the Office of Continuous
Learning and Career Management, and others who may provide advice and
assistance in the preparation of the plan.
d. Following a request for an IDP to a first-line supervisor, parties shall work
together to develop a draft IDP within thirty (30) days. An IDP is a flexible
document jointly and voluntarily developed between supervisor or a
Department-designated management official and employee to be used as a
guide to an employee’s professional and career development.
e. Each IDP shall establish a series of milestones. The primary emphasis of the
plan will be, first to address the competencies (or knowledge, skills, and
abilities) needed for the bargaining unit employee to improve their ability to
perform in his/her current position; second, to address the competencies
needed for advancement beyond his/her current journey level; and third, to
prepare employees for new career opportunities within DOL. The final IDP
should normally be developed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date
that the draft is finalized, but not any longer than sixty (60) calendar days.
The signatures of both parties indicate their commitment to the completion
of the IDP.
f. Bargaining unit employees who have an approved IDP will normally be
granted duty time for any training or developmental activities identified in
their IDP. However, bargaining unit employees will not be penalized,
including during the performance evaluation process, for not completing or
not implementing an IDP. The scheduling of training will be consistent with
Agency mission needs.
g. Bargaining unit employees may also be granted variations within the normal
workweek, including leave without pay and absence without charge to
leave, for training when the primary objective of the training is to improve
the employees’ general skills, knowledge, and abilities, or career
development. The Department shall, to the maximum extent practical,
ensure the scheduling of training and education (over which the Department
has administrative control) so that it occurs during the normal workweek,
including travel to and from training.
h. To achieve the objectives of this Article, and to improve Labor -
Management relations, a joint Labor-Management Training
Forum/Committee shall be established within thirty (30) work days of the
effective date of this Agreement. This joint Labor-Management Training
Forum/Committee shall consider and recommend necessary changes to any
of the Department’s Training programs covered in this Article, as well as
provide advice so that training programs are effectively and efficiently
utilized at the Departmental and/or Agency level.
i. Management and Local 12 shall each name up to five (5) members to the
Forum/Committee.
j. This Forum/Committee will establish the metrics to analyze success of the
Career Enhancement Program (CEP), as well as review the metrics and
results of the program, as described in the CEP MOU.
k. Either party may raise training and life-long learning issues at meetings of
Labor-Management Relations Committees at the Agency and Departmental
levels.
Section 2. Long-Term Career Development Programs
The Department will continue to provide a variety of long-term career development
programs to aid in succession planning and to help employees meet their goals for
professional development. These may include programs to address a myriad of
training interests such as overall entry level support staff, career and promotion
potential, and developmental programs targeted toward career progression. These
programs include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. The Professional Administrative Support Services Program (PASS), which
provides entry-level support staff with a combination of on-the-job-training
(OJT), classroom sessions and courses designed to develop or enhance
competencies.
b. The Career Enhancement Program, which provides an opportunity to
improve and expand an employee’s career and promotion potential through
a systematic and planned approach to career progression. The CEP is
intended to serve as a bridge for employees at the GS-9 level and below to
transition into high level technical, administrative, or professional positions.
c. The DOL Mentoring Program, designed to develop a diverse, prepared
workforce by providing opportunities for employees to develop their career
goals. It involves a deliberate pairing of a highly skilled employee with an
employee who seeks growth and development in DOL.
Section 3. Career Enhancement Program (CEP)
a. Each Agency, within budget and program constraints, will consider on a
periodic basis and identify positions that will be utilized in the CEP. These
positions will meet CEP requirements. CEP will only be open to DOL
employees with career status in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.
Career status is defined as three (3) years of Federal Service in the
competitive service. CEP is intended for DOL employees who, at the time of
selection, are at the GS-9 grade level or lower, and have no promotion
potential beyond the GS-9 grade level or are in a Wage Grade position. The
parties agree that pursuant to 5 CFR 536.102 (b) (1) employees who take a
downgrade to participate in CEP will not be eligible for grade retention or
pay retention.
b. The Human Resources Center (HRC) shall advertise all such positions, and
through merit based competitive procedures, shall consider and select
employees. These employees shall be temporarily reassigned into these
positions.
c. Assuming there are sufficient applicants, the first class established under
this Agreement will contain at least twenty–five (25) employees. The second
year of the Program there will be at least twenty (20) employees for that
year. For each and every year thereafter, there will be at least a total of
sixteen (16) employees selected to participate in the CEP, regardless of the
number of classes. The parties agree that the Forum/Committee described
in this Article will recommend whether one class or two classes are better
for the functioning of the Program, after the first class is selected.
Moreover, the parties agree that the Selecting Officials may, if they choose,
select both classes at the same time if two classes are ultimately
implemented, following recommendation by the by the Forum/Committee.
In all instances, where the number of applicants is less than the specified
minimum, the class shall consist of all of the qualified applicants. It is
agreed that the minimum number of class participants will be adjusted
upwards when additional positions become available.
It is anticipated that all CEP participants who successfully complete the
Program will be placed. However, if the targeted position is unavailable, the
CEP graduate will be given priority placement for the next position for which
he/she is trained. If the placement of this employee occurs, the next class
may be reduced by the number of employees placed.
d. The Agency agrees that the merit staffing selection certificates will be
provided to Local 12 at the conclusion of the CEP selection process.
e. Each CEP class will commence with a formal kickoff ceremony and a
Departmental orientation program.
f. Priority consideration for the CEP will be given to all candidates found to be
qualified for the previous class, but not selected. It is understood that this
priority consideration will only be for the next class following the nonselection.
g. The parties agree that the intent of the CEP is to train, develop and
eventually promote lower graded employees, who are in positions which are
graded at the GS-9 level or lower, with no promotion potential above a GS-
9, at the time of selection. The employees selected will enter into a
professional job series. In addition, the parties anticipate that the majority
of employees selected in each and every class will be bargaining unit
employees.
h. CEP participants shall be provided technical training and developmental
assignments to advance them to a higher position. An Individual
Development Plan (IDP) shall be developed for each of these employees.
Employees may be expected as part of their IDP to participate in activities
that will have to be completed on non-duty time, but the Department
and/or Agency shall pay all appropriate costs associated with such activities.
i. Mentors and Job Coaching will be provided to these employees in order to
assist in their development.
j. The Department shall provide training to improve generic skills such as
effective listening, communications, effective writing, and knowledge of
computers. Individual assessment and career counseling will be made
available.
k. CEP participants will receive periodic evaluations of their progress as well as
an interim evaluation at the end of each rotation. These evaluations shall
include an assessment of the progress in the CEP plan, on-the-job
performance, special assignments, and training efforts. Upon completion of
the Program, a formal evaluation of the employee’s progress and
performance will be conducted.
l. Upon successful completion of the CEP, participants will be permanently
placed in their targeted positions. It is understood that no successful
applicant is guaranteed an immediate promotion. Employees who do not
successfully complete the Program must be returned to their previously held
position, or placed in a position equivalent to their previously held position
at their previous grade and rate of pay.
It is also agreed that all bargaining unit employees offered a non-bargaining
unit position as a result of the successful completion of the CEP will have
the option of declining that position. In the event a CEP graduate declines a
position outside of the bargaining unit, that employee may reapply to the
CEP. It is understood that the employee will not be given priority
consideration.
m. A participant who fails to complete the Program, either due to voluntary
withdrawal or failure to achieve, will be returned to their previously held
position, or its equivalent, at their previous grade and rate of pay. Once the
employee is returned to their previously held position, or an equivalent
position, they cannot be subject to any disparate treatment as a result of
their unsuccessful completion of CEP. However, acts of misconduct
committed during the Program may result in removal from the Program
and/or subject the employee to disciplinary or adverse action, up to and
including removal from Federal service. Employees who fail to complete the
Program because of circumstances beyond their control will be guaranteed
a place in the next CEP class.
n. The Department will submit CEP semi-annual reports to Local 12 that detail
relevant statistical information.
Section 4. Equipment and Time for Continuing Education
Each employee may request Administrative Leave or duty time, not to exceed forty
(40) hours per calendar year, to pursue professional development and training
programs administered by organizations other than the Department. The
professional development or training program must be related to the employee’s
position or the next progressive position within that employee’s job series and/or
occupational series or related to the advancement of the Agency’s mission. If
requested, the employee must provide information related to the training, e.g. the
training website or brochures. Upon return to duty, if requested, the employee will
provide proof of training participation and/or completion. These forty (40) hours of
training time are separate and apart from normal training assigned by
management.
a. The parties agree that approval for duty time will normally be granted,
absent compelling business reasons (to include coverage and/or mission
requirements). If the request for duty time is denied, management will
provide the reason for the denial in writing, with a copy to the Union.
b. With supervisory approval, employees may use the Department’s computers
to enroll in and take DOL sponsored electronic or online courses (e.g.,
Learning Link, Skillsoft, Webinars, etc.) on duty time.
Section 5. Reporting
The Department shall annually provide Local 12 with a copy of the annual report
on training provided to OPM within fifteen (15) calendars days after its submission.
Section 6. MOU
The Parties shall enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a
Labor Management Relations Forum/Committee that will evaluate and make
recommendations for changes to the CEP Program
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