NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, Portsmouth, Va. –
As Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) continues to modernize and improve itself for the future, the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department (NEPD) Recruiting, Training, and Development Division (Code 2300T) looks toward what can be done to develop its people and have them adapt to the innovating world of engineering. Their answer: build an evolving training support system for the team to support the Navy’s mission.
“As soon as our engineers enter the shipyard, they are thrust into a world of rigorous and continuous training and qualifications,” said Richard Schindler, Code 2300T Nuclear Engineering Training Branch Head. “Radiological controls are changing at a rapid pace and we need our team to be able to adapt and be more agile to keep balance with the concept of operations. In addition, we noted that some shortfalls we had in the NEPD was that we relied too heavily on the training branch itself to maintain proficiency in radiological controls. We needed to bridge gaps between the various codes in NEPD to building better training avenues from within. So we looked at ways to get the other codes more involved.”
The NEPD developed a rotational program that invited volunteers from across the different codes within the department to step into the trainer seat and help improve training across the platform as well as develop training specific to their specific codes. The rotators would be involved in a six-month to one-year designation to fill a long-standing need for personnel with cognizant engineering experience to aid in the efforts of Code 2300T.
“These rotators will also bridge the gap from the divisions in NEPD that write the Technical Work Documents (TWDs) and handle the waterfront work to Code 2300T that trains the engineers on Radiological Controls,” said Schindler. “Divisions in NEPD are now leaning in to improve employee development by participating in this rotational program. In an effort to become a more principle-based workforce we need to inject training with these rotators to assist our high performing team to meet the new standards in proficiency. It’s a wonderful experience to help the shipyard better itself, but also provide a unique opportunity for those in rotation to take a step out of their comfort zone and develop new skills. I’m excited to see what they do with their time here.”
For this rotation, Rebeka “Beka” Adams from the Temporary Shielding Branch (Code 2310.7), Meagan Goodwin from the Procedures Branch (Code 2370), and Leslie Mok from the Rotating Machinery Branch (Code 2320.7) were chosen for the task.
“Our branch heads shared this opportunity with us and I personally jumped at the chance to gain some knowledge and do something different. I did a lot of tutoring while I was growing up and I worked as a teacher’s assistant in college – so I wanted to incorporate those skills into this new initiative,” said Adams. “We've been developing training; the shipyard is creating a divisional training so every month the divisions that have people qualified in Article 112 will have a discussion to keep their knowledge up to date. They have to have the discussions and keep that knowledge in mind so they have it ready to go.”
“This program is about getting more adept knowledge and learning about the training within the shipyard and what it takes to develop and deliver that training,” said Goodwin. “Training is very important and a lot of times it gets put on the backburner as we focus our efforts on the job at hand. But it’s important to keep yourself up-to-date with your skills and proficiencies. And I want to help that in any way I can.”
Mok added, “It also provides us an opportunity to take back what we’ve learned to our own codes. Forward progression is key and I think we can really make an impact.” Adams and Goodwin echoed this effort, Adams even noting that she hopes to create a training branch within Code 2370.
“In my opinion, becoming an instructor is one of NNSY’s best kept secrets when it comes to professional leadership development,” said Senior Instructor and Rotator Program Coach Theresa Parker. “It is one of the few jobs where you can truly develop your leadership skills at your own pace. Being an instructor requires good communication skills, the ability to handle challenges, strategic planning and preparation, coaching and mentoring, just to name a few. I would encourage any engineer that is looking to gain hands on experience in preparation for a leadership position to consider participating in a rotational program such as this one.”
Parker added, “I am super excited about our 2300T rotational program because it will provide more engineers the opportunity to experience this level of professional growth without having to leave their home code permanently. Our team’s plan is to, not only, build on the rotators’ technical knowledge of radiological controls, but to also help them incorporate adult learning techniques through areas like Instructional System Design, Training Delivery and Facilitation, and Training Assessment and Evaluations.”
"These rotational positions are what our training program should have always had," said Lead Article 112 Training Instructor Damien Civiello. "Diversity of experience and expertise is vital to providing training that is inclusive of all the work we do as well as all the people that do it. That helps to make sure our training resonates with everyone we teach. Personally, I am very excited to have all this new experience in our group as ultimately we will end up learning as much from them as they will from us."
Code 2300T Engineering of Radiological Work-Assessment and Improvement Coordinator (AIC) David Hebert recently joined the branch as part of another program to rotate engineers. He is a big advocate for these programs and what they open up for he and his fellow engineers. "This is a big opportunity to step outside my norm and comfort zone," he said. "I feel the program has helped me improve my communication skills through classroom training and writing assessments. I have also learned effective methods to present information and get interaction from the personnel. I have also had the opportunity to learn more about other divisions day to day tasks."
“The rotational positions provide engineers with developmental opportunities to acquire new experiences and perspective, while building their network across the shipyard,” said Code 2300T Division Head Matt Tasker. “I’m looking forward to seeing the innovative ideas that Leslie, Meagan, and Rebeka bring to our program. More importantly, I’m excited to help them grow and develop into well-rounded engineers. As the saying goes, “if you want to master something, teach it.” Upon completion of their rotations, our new teammates will each carry forward an even higher degree of communication skills and expertise in the radiological controls program—providing tremendous benefit to the organization as a whole.”