ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. —People are the Army’s most valued resource and greatest asset. From Soldier to Civilian, they work together to maintain our nation’s unity and provide readiness to the United States Army. It is no wonder that “People First” is a major tenet that must be fostered to maximize the Army's potential.
Leaders at the Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC), a major subordinate of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, are dedicated to developing the workforce professionally and personally. The Mission Resource Division (MRD) is making significant headway into providing the workforce with training that allows employees to grow within their career and perform their functional duties without hesitation. The newly developed initiative is set to assist new and developmental employees with onboarding, orientation, and technical training.
The ILSC New Employee Onboarding and Orientation Program is the direct result of several employee surveys that identified the need for more interaction with new and developmental employees from the start of their onboarding, especially given the ongoing COVID environment. The major goal of providing this developmental training is to engage the new employee from day one, so that they are able to become integrated into the ILSC faster and begin to internalize their functional duties without any training gaps.
“Many new employees feel lost navigating the world of logistics and their supervisors don’t have the bandwidth to provide four weeks of comprehensive training to every new employee,” Cheryl Litteral, ILSC MRD Professional Development & Career Management (PDCM) Branch chief said.
The training is comprised of a two week onboarding and orientation event that consists of over forty sessions which include an introduction with the ILSC director, deputy director, and military deputy; briefs from each ILSC directorate; an APG tour; and various staff briefings (security, safety, benefits, training, etc.). This will be followed by a four week technical training overview that will expose the employees to the four core support areas: Integrated Logistics Support, Inventory Management, Technical Writing and Provisioning.
“The first orientation was executed in October of 2021 and technical training is expected to start in 2022,” said Litteral. For those employees not located on Aberdeen Proving Ground a virtual component will be offered.
If new employees need additional assistance outside their training classrooms the MRD PDCM Branch is available to assist individuals with their questions concerning mandatory, required, and desired training. Additionally, if they need assistance within their directorate, it is advised that they meet with their supervisor every six months to discuss their Individual Development Plan (IDP).
“The PDCM team is developing a more robust SharePoint site which will include the orientation briefs, training guides, and registration page,” Litteral said. “The technical training page will be dubbed ‘The ILSC University’ and will include more advanced training options, training guides, a registration page, and a calendar of upcoming courses.”
The intention of the new training program is to hire, onboard, orient, and train employees in a timely manner so that they all receive accurate information and guidance, enjoy networking opportunities, and develop a sense of belonging within the ILSC.
“We are receiving positive feedback from the new employee orientation sessions,” said Litteral. “Multiple briefers, supervisors, and new employees have relayed (verbally and via the surveys issued) that the ILSC orientation program and its format is the most comprehensive they have experienced.”
New and developmental employees feel more knowledgeable and able to adjust more smoothly to their job by knowing more about the organization, workforce, and key leaders.
To gauge the employee’s first and continued impression of the organization, surveys are completed at the end of the Orientation/Training, six months later, and again at 12 months. Survey results will be used to further improve programs and processes. ILSC welcomes new employees to our community and look forward to watching this program develop! Army Strong! Winning Matters!
For more information please visit https://cecom.aep.army.mil/sites/ilsc-mrd/pdcm/ILSCNEO/SitePages/Home.aspx (CAC required).
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