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The Veterans Affairs Learning University; Training Employees to Meet the Needs of Returning Veterans
ees. VALU's distance learning offerings make
Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) face monumental challenges as they provide care and assistance to the approximately 22 million living vets cur- rently on record. With approximately 1.4 million combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan needing to find their footing in a struggling economy, the need to provide care and assistance is at an all time high. Whether explaining the various benefits VA offers to veterans and their families, ensur- ing all veterans receive the highest quality healthcare services, or working to eliminate veteran homelessness, the VA, under Secretary Shinseki's leadership, is trans- forming the way it does business. The VA Learning University (VALU)
has stepped forward supporting this trans- formation through key initiatives that rep- resent a real investment in employee development. "Most people come to VA for the mis-
sion, and they stay because of the mis- sion,
" " said Alice Muellerweiss, Dean of
VALU. "We just want to make sure that they're in the right job … and they're going to provide the best service to our veterans and their family members.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE WORKFORCE VALU trains individuals in a wide variety of jobs spread across VA, including the VA Central Office (VACO), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many VA offices are located in rural areas, far removed from state capitol headquarters and major metropolitan areas. Some staff work night and evening shifts. Some VA workplaces are high stress environments such as hospitals. It is a challenge to provide consistent access to training to such a diverse group of employ-
24 May / June 2012 Elearning!
it possible for VA employees to access train- ing wherever they are, whenever they are available. VALU recently upgraded to a flexi- ble and user-driven Talent Management System (TMS). The new TMS offers materi- als for instructor-led training, 17,000 down- loadable e-books, and 30,000 online training courses. It features easy-to-navigate talent management and career development tools, including dashboards allowing learners to track their training activities.
Department's extensive career landscape.
MyCareer@VA offers resources to help employees match their interests and experi- ences to job opportunities. The website (www.MyCareerAtVA.VA.gov) offers tools to help employees chart a clear path from where they are today to where they want to be. With over 80,000 web visits since its launch in October 2011, MyCareer@VA is changing how VA cultivates its workforce. Employees want career options and supervisors want efficient and productive teams. This innova- tive career design tool offers both.
VA FOR VETS The VA's goal for the upcoming year is to increase the percentage of its employees who are veterans from 32 percent to 40 per- cent. The VA for Vets program focuses on recruitment, retention, and reintegration of veterans working for VA. "Reintegration is critically important,
"They've been doing something very differ- ent [than they did in civilian life].
" said Muellerweiss. "
VA for Vets provides a variety of online Alice Mullerweiss, Dean of
Department of Veterans Affairs Learning University
Interactive webinars are critical to the
VA's learning strategy. These provide instruction on topics ranging from clinical care to transformational leadership. The webinars allow staff in dispersed geo- graphic locations to engage directly with one another, giving both staff and instruc- tors opportunities to share information and have meaningful discussions. "The students absolutely love the train- ing overall," said Dean Muellerweiss. The
feedback has been overwhelmingly posi- tive. When polled, 80-90 percent of learn- ers say that the skills they learn are rele- vant to their jobs. In 2011, the system recorded that nearly eight million training courses had been completed.
MYCAREER@VA Another VALU initiative, MyCareer@VA, is designed to help employees navigate the
tools to help veterans translate their mili- tary skills to skills needed in private industry. "Whether they are an infantry man, a cook, a logistician, officer, or enlisted, it doesn't matter. They will trans- late the skills that they [gained] whether on the battlefield or in garrison, into jobs that are meaningful,
" Muellerweiss said. The goal is clear: offer the best possible
career and development opportunities to VA employees so they can give the best possible care to veterans and their families. With these exciting new tools, the agency is on its way to turning this vision into a reality.
Learn More:
Experience the Veterans Affairs Learning University: http://www.youtube.com/user/
DeptVetAffairs?ob=0&feature;=results_main
Hear from the Veterans Affairs Learning University: http://youtu.be/_2D5AhWC6oE