REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Nov. 20, 2015) -- Budget cuts, hiring restraints and a retiring older workforce have led to a shortage of experienced workers across the federal government.
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, or AMRDEC, is one of six U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command centers, used innovative initiatives to obtain experienced employees.
With the support of the Engineering Directorate, the Quality Management Division requested and received Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Funds also known as Section 852 training funds.
Section 852 funding allows the Department of Defense to recruit, hire, develop, train, recognize and retain its acquisition workforce. Section 852 employees are funded for two years. The funding was used to hire and fund nine quality assurance specialists, three interns and six journeymen level employees to ensure appropriate staffing was available to support the customer base which includes the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command, the Program Executive Office, Missile Defense Agency and other federal agencies.
"In an effort to transfer experience and knowledge from our more seasoned employees to our new employees, the QM Division created a deliberate and targeted QAS indoctrination program," said Paul Anderson, acting chief, Aviation Systems Quality Branch. "The program consists of an academic phase, and a hands on application phase. A sustainment phase is currently being developed."
The newly hired QAS employees will be cross trained across the division and capable of providing support to both aviation and missile platforms.
"The indoctrination program will allow QM leaders the ability to strategically prioritize resources to requirements now and in the future," said Valerie Harris, chief, Quality Management Division. "Every QAS will be trained to the same standard regardless of branch assigned to conserve resources and create efficiencies that support the Warfighter."
In addition to employing nine new employees within 30 days, QM capitalized on the opportunity to hire eight disabled veterans.
"The opportunity to bring in the experience and empirical knowledge of veterans is a double bonus for us," said Tim Ward, chief, Missile Systems Quality Branch. "The accelerated learning curve with veterans based upon program and process familiarity coupled with the benefit of providing employment to someone that has defended our country is a win-win situation. I always tell new employees the key to success is hard work. Our veterans know that before coming onboard to the division."
---
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Social Sharing