Fort Jackson's Garrison recently began the Skill Enhancement and Employee Development program to create a condensed, self-development, self- paced progressive program designed to give participants an educational opportunity to grow and develop.
The SEED program consists of on-line courses, formal classroom training, and developmental educational opportunities designed to prepare the participants for future leadership while enhancing skills, knowledge, and abilities of current managers and supervisors. This program applies to all employees whether they are in permanent, term, or temporary assignments.
"The SEED Program is a self-paced, progressive program designed to give the employees an opportunity to grow and develop as future leaders, wrote Col. Stephen Elder, Fort Jackson's Garrison Commander. "Although this is not an accredited program, it will enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of current managers and supervisors through on-line courses, formal classroom training, and developmental experience opportunities. It is viewed as an excellent self-development initiative that can, and should, be a part of the employee's resume."
Greg Welch, the Chief of Garrison's training division said "our program seeks to develop leaders who possess strong intellect, physical presence, professional competence, high moral character, and are outstanding role models for junior staff while instilling superior communication practices."
The program also prepares competent leaders who display confidence through their attitudes, actions, and words, empowers decision-making across the organization, establishes an organizational environment that values and encourages life-long learning and builds and sustains a culture of safety by practicing good safety habits, addressing safety deficiencies, and articulating how the Installation Management community is working to improve safety and address safety issues.
SEED consists of short-term and long-term programs.
In the Program I, or short-term, employees have two options; job shadowing and local developmental assignments. The job shadowing can take place inside the employee's organization, or in an external agency on Fort Jackson and last between 7-29 days. Local developmental assignments, or
LDA, last between 30-90 days to gather practical knowledge, skills, and abilities outside his or her common experience.
The long-term program, or Program II, consists of formal training and developmental experience opportunities.
"Participants are eligible to complete Category 1 and Category 2 based on their grade," Welch said. Category 1 is for participants in the grade of GS-08 and below and Category 2 is for participants in the grade of GS09- GS11."
Participants in this program will receive a combination of formal (residential and on-line) training and developmental opportunities, he added.
"Participants can choose from a variety of courses and developmental experience opportunities based on their experience, previous training, and offerings within the USAG," Welch said.
"This is a progressive program that provides participants with a great opportunity for growth. In addition to personal time, employees are allotted four hours per week of duty time that has been coordinated with their supervisor to complete program requirements."
Participants receive credit for courses previously completed, along with assignments and special projects completed up to two years prior to their selection to the program.
SEED is open to all permanent employees in pay grades up to and including GS-11, NAF, and WG equivalents assigned to Garrison.
For more information and to learn how to apply contact Greg Welch at 751- 6937 or via email at gregory.a.welch.civ@mail.mil.
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