Career development

Our career development and training initiatives prepare our employees to achieve their goals and turn their career dreams into reality.

National Center for Employee Development

The National Center for Employee Development (NCED) oversees and conducts hands-on training for postal employees who manage and maintain high-technology postal systems, vehicles, and mail processing equipment, using live satellite broadcasts, audio tele-training, and computer-driven audio graphics courses, plus computer, video, and Internet technology to deliver critical job skill training.

New Supervisor Program

The New Supervisor Program (NSP) spans 16 weeks and combines blended learning with On-the-Job development to allow new supervisors an opportunity to gain practical experience, while learning new management skills related to understanding, planning, and organizing. Participants will learn the critical skills to become a highly effective leaders of the U.S. Postal Service. The first two weeks of the program include Leadership and Administrative training, such as Communication Skills, Team Building, Ethical Conduct, and Safety. The program also addresses specialized training in the specific functional areas of Customer Services, Distribution Operations, and Maintenance Operations. The program provides a continuum of learning that supports the competencies and skills needed for the role of a new supervisor. If you want to make a difference in the critical operations of the organization and enjoy working with people, then the first-line supervisor position may be the right job for you. For more information go to https://nced.usps.gov/NSP.

Managerial Leadership Program

The Managerial Leadership Program (MLP) is a two-week program based on the Managerial Competency Model. The curriculum spans a three-month period: Week 1 is centered on the interpersonal and developmental aspects of leadership and includes an introduction to Lean Six Sigma, coaching, giving and receiving feedback, and effective messaging. Week 2 contains interactive activities related to managing difficult business conversations, team development, and power and influence. MLP targets both Headquarters and Field employees. MLP participants are high-potential managers who have demonstrated the ability to move into higher level EAS leadership roles; are not in Corporate Succession Planning (CSP) and have not attended the Advance Leadership Program (ALP).

Advanced Leadership Program

The Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) is a three-week program based on the Executive Competency Model. The curriculum spans a six to nine month period – Week 1: Business Foundations covers the essential information necessary to be an effective leader. Some of the topics include finance, strategy and transition, and project management; Week 2: Personal Development includes rich assessments and a one-on-one coaching session; Week 3: Business Leadership and the Business Case presentation includes participants addressing an issue facing the Postal Service™ and presenting their findings and recommendations to an executive panel. The ALP participant must be a non-executive who has been identified as a potential successor in Corporate Succession Planning (CSP). These individuals must be nominated by a sponsoring executive and approved by their vice president.

Executive Leadership Program

The Executive Leadership Program is an instructor-led program consisting of five days of classroom instruction. The program provides an opportunity for participants to discover new information that is shared with fellow executives and receive qualitative data about individual leadership styles. The program focuses on self, others, and the organization. Critical feedback is provided based on the results of an Emotional Intelligence 360 assessment. Participants engage in self-assessment and reflection on how they are as a leader, how they work with and through others, and how they approach the organization. The program helps executives to identify trust building behaviors, examine the paradoxical elements of leadership, and apply multiple approaches tools and skills that motivate and inspire others. Upon completion of the classroom experience, participants are provided a personal executive coach (10 hours) to assist in further development as a leader within the organization.