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| Air Mail - Let’s talk about the real issues By Warrant Officer of the Air Force WOFF-AF Ray Woolnough Volume 49, No. 03, March 08, 2007 |
| GREETINGS Airmen and Airwomen of the Air Force. As promised in my last article, I am changing from my usual format of letting you know what I’ve been up to in the last month, to presenting issues that will benefit you within our ever-changing Air Force. As we prepare and shape Air Force for the future, changes are necessary. Sometimes we have to break through the barriers of the past if we are to realise our full potential in the future. By now, you are aware that I travel extensively to see and speak to as many of you as possible. During a recent visit to DP-AF, I was surprised by the scope and magnitude of issues they deal with on a daily basis. DP-AF was featured in the last AIR FORCE News on February 22, and I recommend you read the article. DP-AF is spear-heading significant changes and initiatives to get the best balance between staffing Air Force’s capability and recruiting, developing and retaining Air Force’s real capability – you. Consequently, I would like to discuss two issues that I feel are important for you to understand. First issue – The Training Development (TD) Cell is a very busy section that produces panelling messages for officers, airmen and some tri-Service positions for several hundred courses. The panelling authority is DGPERS-AF. Each course has, on average, a dozen sessions a year. Each session involves research for panelling and, more often than not, requires dozens of amendments for withdrawals and late-notice additions. To help streamline the process, Unit Training Co-ordinators (UTC) are appointed and they are the bridge to TD Cell. UTCs are the first port of call for members in relation to any training issues. It is a UTC’s responsibility to not just look after the technical staff, but also the other side of the house. UTCs will provide course information and ensure that course pre-requisites are met. Your UTC will nominate you for one session at a time and you can re-nominate to the next session if you have been unsuccessful with your first choice. They have the responsibility to nominate their members, after confirming with them that they are able to attend, onto the published courses via PMKeyS. They also have the ability to withdraw members, given sufficient reason by COs or ADMINOs, off courses before the panelling dates. Sufficient reasons for withdrawal are for operations, medical or compassionate reasons. If you do not have access to a UTC, you are able to nominate via People Central, Personal Development and Training (PD&T), and follow the prompts in the ‘How to Nominate’ field. Nominations that are submitted with insufficient information, multiple session nominations, missing fields or incorrect data are time-consuming; this may result in a delay in actioning your request and subsequently may result in you missing a spot on a session of your choice. The TD Cell has contact with several different schools that run the courses, such as the RAAF Security and Fire School, RAAF School of Administration and Logistics Training and the School of Air Warfare (formerly SAN), and these schools can also assist by ensuring that they have up-to-date course details on PMKeyS for the UTC and nominees to access. So jump on the website and have a look at the courses offered and know the correct procedures for nominations. Second issue – A large portion of you have not updated your preferences on PMKeyS, and some of you have not done so for a good number of years. It is important that all members have up-to-date preferences. These preferences should be reviewed and updated annually. If you are deployed or cannot be contacted, this is the information DP-AF will use to determine posting preferences. A ‘no preference’ on PMKeyS indicates that you have no posting preference. If you have any problem updating PMKeyS, you should contact your unit’s administrative staff in the first instance. In closing, there is a huge amount of information on People Central. DP-AF uses People Central to release your postings and promotions, release expressions of interest, and to publish updated policies and guidance. People Central should be your first port of call for any information about personnel policy and how to manage your career within the Air Force. Please be assured, DP-AF has changed and is continually changing to meet the needs of the future. Members within DP-AF are doing their utmost to staff Air Force capability and to make your service in the Air Force as rewarding as possible. ‘Till next time, and after the 2007 Warrant Officers’ Conference in Townsville, please keep on smiling. |