ARTICLE 17
Training and Career Development
SECTION 1. A. The parties agree to establish a Joint Training Committee (Committee) to consider programs, policies, and strategies designed to aid employees in enhancing their current job skills and to provide opportunities for upward and lateral career mobility.
B. The Committee shall consist of three members, one appointed by the Union and two appointed by Management.
C. The Committee shall investigate training and career development opportunities, arrange for the distribution of training and career development information, consult with NOAA-GC employees concerning their interests and ideas, and make recommendations to the Union and Management concerning training and career development programs and policies.
D. The Committee shall confer as often as necessary, but no less than four times a year. If budgetary resources are available, the Committee should meet at least once a year. Minutes of each meeting shall be taken and distributed to Management and all employees, whether in the bargaining unit or not. Recommendations may be by consensus or in majority and minority reports.
SECTION 2. A. At the beginning of each fiscal year or when NOAA-GC has been provided its final budget for that fiscal year, whichever is later, Management may assign a budget to each GC suboffice for training. Allocation of any training budget will be based on:
(1) NOAA-GC budget for that fiscal year;
(2) Number of NOAA-GC employees in the suboffice;
(3) Availability of funds from other sources such as clients or special funds; and
(4) Other work-related criteria, as appropriate.
B. If a GC suboffice budget is not adequate to fund training for all NOAA-GC employees in that suboffice, those employees not receiving funded training in one fiscal year will receive consideration in the following fiscal year.
C. For purposes of this section, "GC suboffice" means the subject matter office to which an employee is assigned, regardless of the geographic location.
SECTION 3. A. Employees and supervisors shall work together, in conjunction with the Committee established under Section 1 of this article, to find training opportunities that will enhance the employees' legal knowledge, skills, abilities, or potential, to the end that each employee will be able to schedule at least 15 hours of training per year.
B. Employees may request to attend courses, seminars, meetings, or conferences that they believe will either enhance their current working skills or provide training for work they can reasonably expect to perform in the future. The supervisor may grant or deny such a request, depending on the relevance of the training and demands of office workload.
C. Management will grant administrative leave to employees to attend training that is approved but not funded by Management as valuable to the agency's mission and the employees' performance.
SECTION 4. With Management's approval, an employee within ten years of retirement eligibility may attend a retirement planning seminar or course offered by NOAA. Unless such a course is not offered in the employee's commuting area, the employee should attend a course in his or her commuting area. Depending on budgetary constraints, Management may reimburse the employee for all authorized expenses related to such training. With Management's approval, an employee with at least five years of government service and within 15 years of retirement eligibility may attend a mid-career retirement planning seminar or course. Unless such a course is not offered in the employee's commuting area, the employee should attend a course in his or her commuting area. Depending on budgetary constraints, Management may reimburse the employee for all authorized expenses related to such training.
SECTION 5. Management will announce to all employees any available positions in the bargaining unit.
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