Although issues regarding policy formulation will arise during the course of the training program, a few policies will be outlined here because of their enduring nature.
Bureau of Engineering managers at each level are responsible for identifying skill development areas for their employees and for actively pursuing methods to improve those skills. The ability of a manager to develop his or her staff is considered a vital and critical part of the manager's job.
Bureau of Engineering employees are encouraged to take advantage of training opportunities that will help them grow professionally and prepare for more responsible positions. Individual employees are encouraged to demonstrate initiative in identifying useful courses for their own learning goals and communicating these to their manager.
In keeping with the Department of Public Works training policy, the budget requests of the Bureau will include the equivalent of 4 days (36 hours) per employee to be dedicated to training. All Senior Managers at the Bureau are expected to provide resources and remove obstacles for employees to take advantage of training.
The Bureau of Engineering is committed to being at the cutting edge of engineering organizations. To encourage development of experts in engineering specializations, the Bureau will make every effort to pay for the travel and lodging for any employee selected to deliver a paper or presentation at a professional conference. In addition, the Bureau encourages its employees to become active members of professional organizations related to their fields.
The Bureau also supports employees who seek advanced academic degrees in their fields by providing tuition assistance when funds are available. In providing such assistance, those employees who personally undertake a portion of the tuition burden will be given priority.
To further emphasize the value the Bureau places on training and development of its employees, whenever appropriate, questions regarding an employee’s training and professional development efforts will be incorporated in all Civil Service promotional/pay grade advancement exams and oral interviews.