DAF Develops Dual Track ‘We Need Civilians’ Career Model, Roadmaps to Improve Civilian Career Advancement > Air Force > View Articles

The Department of the Air Force is introducing a new civilian career talent management process designed to both develop civilian leaders and grow technical expertise/capability.

The new “Civilians We Need” career model and accompanying roadmap will help DAF civilians plan their work experiences, education, training and leadership opportunities to meet their career goals.

The dual-track civilian career model, which separates paths for business leaders and functional experts, was created to improve retention and promote greater retention. diversity.

“DAF civilians enter the workforce from various sources, and it is essential to have a flexible framework for career development,” he said. Alex Wagner, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “Some people want to become experts or functional leaders, and others want to become business leaders. DAF needs and appreciates both.’

The 2020 Racial Inequality Review and the final RAND to analyze stated that the DAF has differences in senior civilian positions starting at the GS-13 level Senior Management Service level Factors such as expectations for geographic mobility and professional military education associated with mobility were seen as barriers to advancement for certain race/ethnicities and women.

The traditional company leader provides a broad development base for those aspiring to leadership positions in companies such as SES. This track emphasizes depth and breadth of experience, both within and beyond one’s primary functional area, in geographic mobility and professional military education.

The new expert/functional leader path is to develop functional experts and leaders with relevant technical expertise and institutional memory. This track encourages formal education at the master’s or doctoral level to prioritize the depth of technical knowledge.

A DAF-level roadmap has been developed for each route indicating the desired attributes. These roadmaps serve as a career decision-making guide when considering whether an employee is seeking development designed to prepare them for DAF. business leadership roles or roles that provide depth functional specialization and senior management within a given functional area.

Leaders understand that career aspirations and personal circumstances can change, so these roadmaps were also designed to allow an individual to switch between two career paths at any time.

“The career paths have been defined and they set expectations for the development of the civilian career,” he said Gwendolyn DeFilippi, Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Personnel and Services. “Whether they’re mobile and aspiring to employer positions or want to be the best functional expert they can be, all civilians are valued – their contributions are valued – and we’ve set a development path for them.”

In addition to the DAF-level career sheets, career area managers will build specific versions of the two career sheets, which will be available there. MyVector.

Roadmaps are another part of DAF “The airplanes of the future are getting bigger and bigger” an initiative that will shape the strength we need to face future challenges, both military and civilian.

The “Civilians We Need” Model and roadmaps have been codified DAF 36-142 manualCivilian Career Field Management and Force Development, which now includes references to the Space Force and replaces AF Manual 36-606.

If you are interested in learning more, please have a look We need career models and roadmaps for civilians the video