“What is Sailor 2025? How is it going to affect me? What’s in it for me?” These are questions we all should be asking; so let’s get a little smarter!
Sailor 2025 is the Navy’s program to improve and modernize personnel management and training systems to effectively recruit, develop, manage, and retain the force of tomorrow. Although Sailor 2025 is focused on updating policies, procedures, and operating systems, and providing the right training at the right time, the ultimate goal is to empower Sailors. So, what does this mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means giving Sailors more control and ownership over their careers!
Sailor 2025 is built on a framework of three pillars:
- A modernized personnel system
- An enriched culture
- A career continuum of learning
Let’s take a look at what the Personnel System Modernization initiatives have to offer. The personnel initiatives are aimed at empowering Commanding Officers, developing flexible policies, increasing transparency, providing better tools to Sailors and leadership, and giving more choices to Sailors. To do this, the Navy recognizes that it needs modern policies and retention tools that offer flexibility and choice to Sailors. Believe it or not, the Navy has already started modernizing personnel policies to give Sailors more control and ownership over their careers. Here are some ongoing initiatives that have been recently ‘revamped’ and improved:
- Career Intermission Program (CIP) – Some program eligibility barriers have been removed and participant quotas have been increased. CIP allows individuals to take a sabbatical from the Navy for up to three years to pursue goals of their choosing.
- Fleet Scholar Education Program (FSEP) – Expanded fully-funded, in-residence graduate degree opportunities at civilian institutions by 30 billets at the officers’ (URL and IWC officer eligible) choice of institution.
- Billet Based Distribution (BBD) – Expanded choice and flexibility; enables the Navy to more efficiently assign personnel in support of warfighting readiness and more accurately match Sailors’ unique skillsets to specific billets.
- Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) – Provided more opportunities to Fleet COs, CMCs, and the Chief’s Mess to better identify and meritoriously advance talented, hard-working Sailors at sea and shore.
- Secretary of the Navy Tours with Industry (SNTWI) – Provided opportunities for 30 top-performing Sailors at high-performing corporations to observe and learn the newest insights and best practices to bring back to the Fleet.
- Navy Enlisted Rating Modernization – The first phase of this multi-year initiative to transform Navy Enlisted Career Management just kicked off on September 30, 2016 – basically eliminating Navy rating titles. As this initiative evolves, it will ensure enhanced career flexibility where combinations of rates with similar training and experience exist. It will ultimately provide greater training and credentialing opportunities, and help Sailors become more marketable to civilian employers once they leave the Service – much more than just ‘new names’ for existing ratings!
Wait, there’s even more; here are some of the future initiatives that Navy is embarking on:
- Revamp pay and personnel systems – Increasing automation and streamline processes to ease the administrative burden that comes with PCS, promotions/advancements, and travel.
- Online detailing marketplace – Will provide more transparency for Sailors choosing their next set of orders by allowing billet visibility while also involving gaining commands’ participation in the assignment of officers by enabling communication with potential candidates.
Make sure you take a look at future blogs where we’ll dive into Sailor 2025’s Ready, Relevant Learning and Enriched Culture initiatives. In the meantime, visit the following website for more specific Sailor 2025 information and guidance: https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/talentmanagement/Pages/default2.aspx