1. Company Wide
Development Plan
For
Employee Education System,
Department of Veterans Affairs
Patricia Carman
Training and Development (EIDT -
6501 - 1)
Spring 2012

2. Development:
Why it is important
• Organization
The Employee Education System (EES) is the VA health system's education and training organization.
VA employees come to us for quality educational offerings that will improve their work performance
and provide them with crucial continuing education. Our programs keep pace with the profound
changes affecting work in the care of our Nation's Veterans.
• Organizational Goals
To better serve our clients, we have strategically established nine Employee Education Resource
Centers (EERCs) across the country. These centers allow us to adopt best practices and leverage
our resources and expertise to provide the best accessibility and affordability. These resource
centers ensure communication is maximized, work is focused, cycle time is reduced, and products
are delivered when and where they are needed.
As
• Engagement
Through employee development the desire to remain engaged within the workforce is
greater resulting in a higher probability of self-reliance and motivation.
• Interdependent Partnering
Development will build the necessary characteristics to enhance an employee’s confidence and
abilities to alleviate the dependence of managerial or supervisory input often resulting in the
employee remaining stagnant or at the same level within the organization.
Employee Education System, 2012

3. Unleashing positivity in
the workplace
• Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) is mentioned within the article “Unleashing Positivity in the
workplace” by Pace as the theory of focusing on the strengths of an organization and individuals within it,
they will become more cohesive and productive than one that spends their energy on strengthening
weaknesses.
• Pace applies the idea to not just individuals within an organization, but the organization in its entirety. In
addition, the article highlights the POS, “domains of excellence,” which include virtuousness, resilience,
thriving, positive social capital, and compassion. Furthermore, Pace discusses the importance of
maintaining positivity within interpersonal relationships and communication. In reducing the amount of
negativity in the workplace, employees are thought to work harder and to feel a productive part of a
team.
• To build characteristics that are rewarding to the organization and the employee, Pace suggests that the
creation of “a positive climate, positive relationships, positive communication, and positive meaning” will
drive positive outcomes which should be recognized and rewarded
(Pace, 2010)

4. Employee development
initiatives
• Formal Education Programs
Lectures by business experts or professors, business games and simulations, adventure
learning, and meetings with customers.
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment
The test consists of more than 100 Questions about how the person feels or prefers to
behave in different situations. The MBTI is based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung,
who believed that differences in individuals’ behavior resulted from people’s preferences in
decision making, interpersonal communication, and information gathering.
• Tuition Reimbursement
Provide up front full tuition reimbursement for associates enrolled in an accredited
school that maintain high grade point averages(3.5–4.0) to alleviate out-of-pocket or
loan payments.
• Mentoring and Coaching
A mentor is an experienced, productive, senior employee who helps develop a less
experienced employees’.

5. Typical Reasons for Employee
Training and Development
• When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is
needed
• To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a performance
improvement effort
• As part of an overall professional development program
• As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a
planned change in role in the organization
• To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management
system
• To train about a specific topic
(Employee Training and Development, 2012)
(Noe 2010)
(Stolovitch 2010)

6. Typical Topics of Employee
Training
• Communications: The increasing diversity of today's workforce brings a wide
variety of languages and customs.
• Computer/Technological skills: Technology skills are a necessity for conducting
business in our workplace.
• Customer service: Since our mission is to train clinical staff to care for our
nations veterans it is critical that employees understand and meet the needs of
our clients. It is also imperative that there be consistency in this across the
Employee Education Resource Centers (EERC’s)
• Diversity: Diversity training includes explanations about how people have
different perspectives and views, and includes techniques to value diversity
• Ethics: Today's society has increasing expectations about corporate social
responsibility. AS a government entity we should be held to a higher standard.
Additionally, a diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the
workplace.
(Employee Training and Development, 2012)
(Noe 2010)
(Stolovitch 2010)

7. Typical Topics of Employee
Training (continued)
• Quality initiatives: Initiatives such as Quality Management,
benchmarking, etc., require basic training about quality concepts,
guidelines and standards for quality.
• Safety: Safety training is critical where working in heavy duty and
hazards conditions but is also useful with practical advice for
avoiding injuries, etc.
• Human relations: The increased stresses of today's workplace can
include misunderstandings and conflict. Training can help people to
get along in the workplace.
• Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment training usually includes
organization's policies as well as laws about sexual harassment,
especially about what are inappropriate behaviors.
(Employee Training and Development, 2012)

8. General Benefits from Employee
Training and Development
• Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees
• Increased employee motivation, employees are more
effective and productive when they feel support by
management.
• Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial
gain
• Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods
• Increased innovation in strategies and products, employee
development plans support talents management, how many
SES leadership came up through the ranks, how much more
effective are they then employees hired in at top SES
positions?

9. General Benefits from
Employee Training and
Development
• Reduced employee turnover, employee development plans
result in higher retention rates because they invest in their
human capitol resulting in less cost to train or hire new
employees.
• Enhanced company image, Employee Development Plans make
positive contributions to organizational performance, i.e.
happy clients.
• Risk management, As a government entity avoidance of
EEOC ( Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) suits is
critical to organization reputation, e.g., training about
sexual harassment, diversity, ethics.
(Employee Training and Development, 2012)
(Noe 2010)
(Stolovitch 2010)

10. Resources
• Employee Training and Development: Reasons and Benefits retrieved from
http://managementhelp.org/training/basics/reasons-for-training.htm
• Stolovitch, H., Stolovitch, H., & Keeps, E. (2011). Telling Ain't Training.
Danvers, MA: ASTD.
• Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.
• Pace, A. (2010). Unleashing positivity in the workplace. Training and
Development, 64(1), 40-44.
Retrieved from the Academic Research Complete database
• Employee Education System Employment Goals, 2012 retrieved from
http://www.vacareers.va.gov/VACAREERS/why-choose-va/education-support.asp