National Weather Service Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services Training Division

The Forecaster Development Program (FDP) describes a national training curriculum by which newly hired degreed meteorologists or otherwise academically qualified individuals gain the knowledge and skills needed to progress to a full performance forecaster.

Goals

• To provide uniform training and work experience to prepare meteorologist interns to progress to a full performance forecaster at a Weather Forecast Office (WFO), or equivalent position at a National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Service Center, or other NWS office.
• To provide full performance forecaster training to Hydrometeorologist Technicians (HMTs) who have satisfied the OPM X-118 educational standards and other requirements to cross-over from the GS-1341 series to GS-1340 meteorologist position.

Implementation

The training consist primarily of webcasts, instructor led audio tele-training, Weather Event Simulations (WES) and on the job training. Interns will also attend a workshop as part of the Distant Learning Operations Course. Although the FDP outlines specific training requirements, the sequence of training undertaken by individuals – what is completed and when – is left to the discretion of the MIC or training designee of each office, and should reflect operational needs of each office. At a minimum, it will take approximately 2 years for an individual to complete the FDP curriculum.

Interns should complete training via the NWS Learning Center. Some of the training material may not be on the e-learning system, so learners should contact the training provider to find how to receive completion credit.

FDP Curriculum Overview

The FDP training consist of six (7) Professional Competency Units (PCUs). In order to complete the training and thereby acquiring the knowledge and skills, there are a core set of instructional components an individual is required to complete. It is recognized that most interns enter the NWS through a WFO, however there are a small percentage that enter through other facilities. In non-WFO facilities, this training plan is easily adaptable to accommodate the needs of the office. Click on a unit to see details.

• PCU 1: Organizational Structure and Administration
• PCU 2: Observational Instrumentation, Remote Sensing, Interpretation and Data Management
• PCU 3: Forecast Process
• PCU 4: Forecast Science and Operational Programs
• PCU 5: Operational Applications, Troubleshooting, and Dissemination
• PCU 6: Customer Service and Outreach
• PCU 7: Professional Development

Additional Resources

• FDP Curriculum (all PCUs combined into one document)
• FDP Competency Unit Checklist (web)

Comments or Questions on the Forecaster Development Program

Contact your Regional Scientific Services Division or Jerry Griffin at the NWS Training Center.

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