PENSACOLA, Fla. – As training and learning methods evolve, the Navy, specifically the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), continues to adapt how the Force Development pillar of MyNavy HR prepares Sailors for doing their jobs in the fleet.
“It is all about making sure that our young men and women are ready to fight and win. We owe them the very best training and education so they have the knowledge to do just that,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, commander, NETC. “Retain, recall and put that knowledge to use when they are put to the test. Today’s training is tomorrow’s operations.”
Learning standards officers (LSOs) and stakeholders from training commands across the country met in Pensacola, Florida, June 14-16, 2022, to discuss ways to improve developing quality training and working with each other to do so.
“You cannot replace us being able to get together and talk through our agendas,” said Kent Miller, NETC’s executive director. “These meetings help us find ways for our team to be more agile, more responsive and quicker to react to fleet requirements and change as necessary.”
As instructional systems specialists with special qualifications in education and training management, LSOs assist with the quality of instruction and instructional materials.
“The LSOs are the primary policy advisors on training delivery administration and training functions,” said Lloyd Hurst, NETC’s learning standards officer. “LSOs also provide oversight of the NETC curriculum development process using the Planning, Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation and Maintenance model.”
With more than 37,000 Sailors training at 251 NETC training sites on any given day, NETC receives feedback from the fleet to ensure Sailors are receiving the most advanced, up-to-date training possible. This includes fleet surveys, training effectiveness and evaluation plans and training requirements reviews, all of which the LSOs are directly involved in reviewing.
“LSOs have to stay current on advances in training development and delivery that may potentially be incorporated into the assigned learning center's training,” said Hurst. “Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) has brought new technology to the centers leading to modernization of training efforts.”
RRL is designed to improve individual Sailor performance and enhance fleet readiness with the three major components of when, how and where training occurs. RRL is just one of the many topics that was discussed during the meeting.
“We want to make sure that we are supporting our learning centers and giving them the resources that they need and the latitude that they need to do their jobs properly, “ said Donald Chipman, NETC’s warfighter development training standards branch head. “We also covered the Learning Stack. If we can all become cohesive on our understanding and implementation of the Learning Stack, it will allow us to write those implementations into policy moving forward.”
The Learning Stack is a system of systems that will be the keystone to delivering modernized training and meeting advanced technology needs of the fleet. NETC’s Information Technology (IT) architecture and corresponding capabilities delivered by the Learning Stack will decrease training timelines by becoming more efficient, assimilating operational agility and improving overall mission readiness by having information at each Sailor’s fingertips.
“LSOs fill such a critical role as an extension of NETC at each learning center,” said Chipman. “They control the quality of training for the future Sailor in the United States Navy. We wanted to let them know that we have their back but also to let them know how much we need from them at their learning centers to be the voice that guides our future training policies.”
NETC’s mission is to recruit and hire talented civilians, deliver training and education to transform civilians into Sailors and distribute accession Sailors to the fleet to maximize readiness and ensure mission success; to provide specialized training and educational tools to advance the personal and professional development of Sailors throughout their career; and serve as sole claimant for individual training and education and as the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command on training and education related matters.
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