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LeRoy Spayd, Acting
Chief
The mission of the NWS Training Program is to ensure training needs are
met in a cost-effective manner by sustaining an efficient and effective
workforce. Learn more about Training
Division Function, Structure, and Staff.
National Training Plans
Procedures used by the NWS Training Program are described in the National
Strategic Training and Education Plan (NSTEP). The end result of the
NSTEP process is an annual Implementation Plan for NWS Training and Education,
which offers details on national training activities. Fiscal
Year 2009 is currently available. All available NWS Training is hosted
on the NWS Training
Portal webpage. For any questions
about the Implementation Plan, contact
.
Goals of the NWS Training Program
- Establish a logical, flexible and responsive training infrastructure
to quickly translate field training and education requirements into
easily accessible, usable and effective training materials.
- Implement an efficient, open and consistent process for defining
and establishing priorities for NWS training requirements.
- Create an integrated model for defining required knowledge, skills
and abilities to successfully perform job tasks. These definitions will
be easily accessible and understood by users, and are used by the trainers
as the template for development.
- Develop annual implementation plans (IPs) for training and science
support to ensure responsiveness to field requirements and to sustain
the high level of science and technical infusion required to maintain
the high forecast standards of the NWS.
- Create a process to facilitate rapid response to new or changing
training priorities within any fiscal year. Identify requirements that
cannot be met due to resource limitations or additions to training priorities
and raise to upper management.
- Establish an effective evaluation process to ensure staff reaps
the intended benefits of training. Involve local supervisors in assessing
the impact of training on job performance and providing feedback to the
Team.
 NWS
Training Providers
The Cooperative Program for Operational
Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) was
originally envisioned as a broad effort to affect meteorology education
and training in the United States. The program, located in Boulder, CO,
has expanded to enhance meteorology education in universities and meteorological
services worldwide. One of the primary means to meet this objective was
the development of an Education and Training Group. This group works in
tandem with the Forecast Decision Training Branch to design and produce
teletraining, classroom instruction, case studies, and Web- and CD-based
learning modules.
The Forecast Decision Training Branch (FDTB) in Boulder, CO, provides training
and education to operational NOAA staff in areas related to hydrometeorological
operational forecasting. The staff works closely with the Office of Atmospheric
Research's (OAR's) Earth Science Research Laboratory, the Virtual Institute
for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) program, and with the COMET program.
The Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB)
in Norman, OK, develops and delivers training on the integrated elements
of the warning process within an NWS forecast office. Training activities
provide basic and advanced WSR-88D operator proficiency, with an emphasis
on the integrated data environment, warning methodology and situation awareness.
Other Training Websites
Structure
The Division articulates and distributes
training requirements to the NSTEP Heads
of Training Group (HOTG) via annual Implementation
Plans for Training. The HOTG is comprised of
the three NWS training facilities:
Once provided with requirements via the annual plans, the HOTG assumes
responsibility for developing and providing needed training in the areas
described therein.
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www.nws.noaa.gov 
