The Employee Development and Training Center began in 1988 in the basement of Piper Tech to provide GSD employees with Department orientation, career advancement and supervisory development training. The ED&TC then moved in July 1995 to its present location on the third floor of City Hall South. Below is a general description of our services and how to apply for them.

The ED&TC offers orientation to the new employee on Department policies and practices, City benefits, and employee obligations. New employees are automatically enrolled in this training and will be notified by the ED&TC when the next class will be held.

For the new supervisor, the ED&TC provides training on an array of topics such as labor relations, grievance, handling, discipline, selection procedures, violence in the workplace, and budget preparation. These classes are taught by subject experts within the Department.

In conjunction with the ED&TC new state of the art computer lab, employees can receive classroom instruction on using personal computers and local area networks.

To apply for these classes, interested students should submit a Request for Training form signed by their supervisor. Students will be notified when they have been scheduled for the class.

With the opening of the new office at City Hall South, the ED&TC inaugurated the Department's very own computer lab. Consisting of six personal computers, the lab contains tutorials on all the software programs used by the City such as Paradox, Wordperfect, and Windows, plus tutorials on understanding the personal computer and improving typing skills. These tutorials are self taught and completed by the student at his or her own place.

To apply for computer lab training, interested students should submit a Request for Computer Training form signed by their supervisor. Students need to indicate preferred times and days of training and ED&TC will make every effort to accommodate them.

To help prepare employees for promotion, the ED&TC developed a home study course on better business writing. This course, to be completed by the employee on his or her own time, improves the employee's abiliy to take written exams and to excel on written assignments on the job. Students are expected to complete the course in six months.

Application to this program can be made with a Request for Training form. The ED&TC will set up an appointment with the employee to explain the program and disseminate materials.

The ED&TC also has available a series of home study courses from the U.S. government Office of Personnel Management.

Courses range from applied supervision to math to time management. There is a fee for each; however, the fee is refundable after the student completes the program.

To apply to this program, submit a Specialized Training Request form with a money order for the amount of the course made out to National Independent Study Center.

To check out these materials, see the ED&TC staff.

CAREER COUNSELING
The library also contains materials on preparing for Civil Service exams. There are extensive bulletin listings as well as books and tapes on doing one's best in an interview. Employees can also pick up exam notification cards and employment applications.

See the ED&TC staff for this material

"OUTSIDE" TRAINING
Many employees receive technical and specialized training from sources outside the Department. The ED&TC processes employee requests for this training and arranges for payment to vendors. The ED&TC also maintains records of this and all training the employee receives.

To request special training from an outside vendor, the employee must submit a Specialized Training Request form signed by his or her Division head.