BREMERTON, Wash. –
Capt. Dianna Wolfson, commander, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, officially opened the Command Career Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 26 at the center’s location next to Building 427 trailer M-14415 at the shipyard.
“It doesn’t really get closer to home than developing this center for our people,” said Wolfson. “It is pretty tremendous. I am really excited for this. It is an opportunity for our folks to be able to plan and prepare for their growth. Having resources available to them is very, very important.”
The Command Career Center was created to support all PSNS & IMF employees’ personal growth and professional development goals.
“Employees are encouraged and supported to take ownership of their future opportunities and to achieve their greatest potential,” said Cecily Norgaard, Career Center Program lead with Code 1182, Workforce Development. “The Command Career Center’s objective is to help employees plan for, identify and take advantage of opportunities throughout all phases of their careers.”
Some of the services the Command Career Center offers include:
Identifying short-, mid- and long-term career goals.
Sharing development opportunities, e.g. apprentice programs, internships, mentoring, job shadowing and rotational assignments.
Providing information on formal bridge and degree programs and cross-functional networking opportunities.
Providing advice on résumé writing and the federal hiring process.
Conducting mock interviews.
Creating and updating Individual Development Plans.
According to Norgaard, the center complements professional development resources available within some shops and codes, with a focus on whole-person development and enterprise-wide, long-term career planning. It is not designed to replace professional development resources available at the shop and code level.
The Command Career Center supports the Career Counseling initiative established by the People Executive Steering Committee, with specific services offered based on requests and feedback from PSNS & IMF employees.
According to Norgaard, the Workforce Development Branch has been working on setting up the Command Career Center since the proposal was signed by former Commander Capt. Howard Markle, and endorsed by Capt. Dianna Wolfson when she assumed command in June 2019.
To schedule an appointment, send a request via government or personal email to PSNSCareerCenter.FCT@navy.mil.
Appointment requests should include the name, badge number, shop or code, and a good contact phone number or email address. Scheduling an appointment during working hours requires supervisor approval, with the understanding that workload has priority.
In accordance with the Command Career Center's mission to serve all shipyard employees, a handicap accessible mobility ramp was installed at the trailer, and a request has been made to add an automatic door opener that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessible design. Employees with disabilities who have questions about accessing the trailer should send an email to PSNSCareerCenter.FCT@navy.mil.