Career Development and Mission Critical Programs

Career development programs link training activities, research and team projects, coaching and mentoring, and developmental work assignments in a coordinated set of activities designed to build universal, leadership, business management, and mission critical competencies. Any DOE office can build its own career development program and our Training Consultants can assist you to do that.

Existing career development programs have the advantage of a proven track record, a set of already-defined activities, and the opportunity for participants meet people from other backgrounds and agencies.

Mission critical programs focus on training and education activities, but also can include experience requirements, a coach or training team leader, or examinations requiring extensive preparation and self-study. Mission critical and career development programs are not mutually exclusive. A new employee can follow the Technical Qualification Program guidelines to develop mission critical competencies while at the same time participating in the Aspiring Leader Program.

These programs are a major commitment by the DOE in an employee's career development. DOE organizational elements normally have a coordinator for these programs to ensure that application and selection processes are open to qualified candidates on a merit principle basis, that participants complete the programs in a satisfactory manner, and that resources are available, especially where programs span more than one fiscal year. Mission critical development programs often also have a board of senior managers that makes decisions concerning program structure and assesses the results. In addition, many of the career development programs require a Continued Service Agreement, where a participant agrees to work for the Department for a specified period after completing the training program.

The National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department, as part of their learning and development partnership, encourage you to review these programs and build them into your individual development planning process. Additional information and help applying for programs are available from the Human Capital Management Training Consultants working with specific offices and on the Websites listed below, as can the DOE Headquarters and Field Program Office Training Coordinators also included on the list.

Mission Critical Professional Development Programs

• Federal Technical Capability Program
• Facility Representative Program
• Acquisition Career Development Program
• Financial Management Development Program
• Aviation Safety Program
• Project Management Program

Career Intern Programs

• To apply to DOE Career Intern Program
• Presidential Management Fellows Program

Career Development Programs

• DOE Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP)
• DOE Mentoring Program
• Aspiring Leader
• Executive Leadership Program
• Executive Potential Program
• Executive Survival Skills
• Excellence in Government Fellows Program
• LEGIS Congressional Fellows Program
• Leading People
• Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program
• Managing For Results
• National Security Studies Program
• New Leader
• Senior Executive fellows at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
• Washington Executive Seminar
• Commerce Science and Technology Fellowship

Page last updated: 09/02/2009