Citation
(2003), "Defence ministry launches career-planning tool", Career Development International, Vol. 8 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi.2003.13708gab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Defence ministry launches career-planning tool
Defence ministry launches career-planning tool
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has begun to use an innovative tool to plan and manage training and enhance career development.
Career Paths, an e-skills Web-based tool from training and consulting provider QA, enables the MOD's defence communication services agency (DCSA) employees and managers to form structured personal-development plans. Career Paths identifies the skills employees need for their current or desired job role and proposes training courses to develop those skills.
"It brings valuable structure to our training and career-development programmes," said Lieutenant Commander Susie Thomson, of the DCSA. "To encourage use, the tool has been made to look like an MOD initiative with all the right branding. Its use gives me confidence that training is in line with business objectives and that budgets are well spent."
The tool can be accessed from employee desktops or the organization's intranet. By selecting the appropriate job family and job title, employees view a structured profile of core (personal and management) and functional (job-role specific) competencies and corresponding training plans. Additionally, employees have the flexibility to choose the training delivery that best suits their learning style – classroom, e-learning or self study.
"We know that support for career development is vital for maintaining motivated, effective teams," commented Paul Northcott, head of consulting at QA. "Career Paths gives MOD staff a clear outline of how to progress to a desired role. That is incredibly powerful and motivating."
More than 250 classroom, e-learning and computer-based courses, from recognized MOD training providers, in-house courses and learning resources, QA's management and technical training portfolios, and other third-party suppliers, have been mapped to the corresponding job roles.