# Presentation: 128899

##         “Retooling Your Workforce        with Critical IT Skills”

**           ****Sandia National Laboratories**
**           ****Information Technology/**
**          ****Computer Science Retraining Program**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin **
**Company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC04-94AL8500.**

**Jodi Case & Linda Wilson**
**Technical & Compliance Training**
**Sandia National Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Welcome folks as they come in and invite them to sit wherever they like.  

Give them the handouts.  Go to meet them when possible. .

## Introduction

**  ****Sandia National Laboratories’ mission is to provide science**
** ****& engineering support for many aspects of national security**
**including stockpile stewardship, mitigating the spread of **
**nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and preventing **
**disruption of critical infrastructures. **
**  ****To provide this service to the Nation, heavy reliance on **
**information technology and computer science skills (IT/CS)**
**is paramount.  Providing this service also requires staff to **
**have high levels of security clearances in addition to the **
**requisite IT/CS skills.**
**  ****According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, **
**three of the top four fastest growing occupations between **
**1998-2008 are jobs related to IT/CS.**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Sandia mission . . .

Reliance on IT/CS skills to . . .

BLS statistics for 1998-2008 top 4 include
.   .   .   .

(Next slide)

## Intro – External Job Market

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**

Computer Engineers
Computer Support
Systems Analysts
Database Administration

## Introduction - continued

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**  ****In March 2000, Sandia was faced with a critical IT skills **
**shortage which could not be met solely by a hiring program.**
**  ****The external job market was experiencing a shortage and **
**recruiting competition at  universities was fierce. **
**  ****The requirement to have security clearances for much of **
**our work created an additional challenge.**
**  ****Recruiting and retention of people who have these critical **
**skills required an innovative intervention at the enterprise**
**level.  Sandia’s IT/CS Retraining Program was born out of**
**this need.  **

**Notes:**

March 2000 – critical IT skills shortage

External job market competition

High security requirements constraint

Innovative intervention at enterprise level ===  IT/CS Retraining Program

## Customer Expectations & Available Options

**  ****Customer wanted a training program which could produce **
**IT professionals with a graduate computer science degree ---**
**                                       ****IN 3 MONTHS!**
**  ****Training options available included Sandia’s:**
**Tuition Assistant Program**
**University Part-Time**
**Special Master/PhD Programs**
**One Year on Campus**
**In-house courses**
**Existing certification programs (vendor, academic &**
**  ****vocational)**
**  ****Internal “Retraining” determined best choice because:**
** ****customized curriculum (Sandia & customer)**
** ****controllable schedule**
**  ****Reusable model applicable to other critical skill areas**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Can you see some of the dynamics we were faced with to meet this critical skill shortage?

Program developed to meet this need is a model which can really be used for any critical skill shortage.  The flexibility of the model  makes it adaptable to different needs.

 Let’s see what the process looks like.

## Program Framework – What it Looks Like

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
To help show where we are in process, as I take you through it, Jodi will project the process on the second screen.

You have a copy of this process chart in your handouts as well.

## Program Development

**Funding and championship from the top:**
**  ****Executive Vice President**
**  ****Vested Vice Presidents**
**  ****Directors**
**  ****Department Managers**
**Steering Committee formed:**
**  ****Receiving organizations representatives**
**  ****Corporate Training & Development (CTD)**
**Four Tracks formed *****(see handout):***
**Fundamental Software Development (NM)**
**Data Exploitation and Analysis (NM)**
**System Administration (NM)**
**Information Systems & Engineering Analysis (CA)**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
  $ and championship from top
Vested – those who had need for IT/CS skills in their org

  Steering committee . . .

  4 tracks to meet specific needs of different organizations (and site)

## Program Infrastructure

**Program infrastructure was defined and formed:**
**  ****Facilities acquired – co-location, labs, offices, classroom**
**  ****Logistics – equipment, furniture, support processes**
**  ****Retraining organization created**
**  ****Full-time IT Manager/Teaching Assistant assigned**
**  ****Project leads appointed**
**  ****Curriculum finalized – developed for specific needs**
**  ****Blended Learning Deliveries**
**Distance Learning (National Technological Univ)**
**Computer Based (CDs and Video)**
**Instructor-led classroom**
**Facilitated independent study (WebCT & lab)**
**  ****Blend of commercial off-the-shelf/internally-developed**
**  ****Fast-paced/intense but full-time learning environment**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Program infrastructure:
  facilities
  logistics
  Mgr/TA
  Project leads
  Curriculum
  blended learning deliveries
  off-the shelf & internal dev
  fast-paced & intense
  FULL-TIME LEARNING

## Post & Bid Process

**Post & bid process included:**
_**New Mexico **_
**  ****selection criteria based on specific org needs  **
**  ****questionnaire for collecting interview data**
**  ****interview teams comprised of representatives of **
**receiving organizations**
**  ****students transferred into new organization to**
**start program**
_**California **_
** ****Post & bid to select candidates to participate**
** ****Same org but classes brought on-site and work in between classes**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Post & Bid:
New Mexico
  Selection criteria
  interview questionnaire
  students into new org

California
 Post & Bid to select
 Same org but special classes brought in on site w/work in between

## Classes Begin

** ****Classes begin (and run from 5 to 7 months):**
**  ****Orientation**** – expectations, schedule, objectives,**
**program structure, curriculum, and logistics**
**  ****Receiving Org presentations**** – receiving managers**
**present org overview, describe IT career opportunities, **
**& IT projects to facilitate student selection of org**
**  ****Organization mentors assigned**** – work with students**
**to help assimilate into new organization**
**  ****TRACKS 1 & 2**** – Org-specific courses selected after **
**core courses with help of organization mentor and **
**teaching assistant**
** ****Track 4 – ****On-site classes then back to work**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
CLASSES BEGIN:
 Orientation

Receiving Org Presentations

Tracks 1 & 2 – org-specific

Track 4 – on-site classes then back to work 

## Classes End

**CLASSES END:**
**  ****Program Celebration**** (NM/CA) – Luncheon**
**Signify end of retraining and recognize accomplishments.  **
**Students receive certificates or Certification earned **
**(stakeholders, mgrs, family)  **
**  ****NM students transferred**** into new organizations to begin **
**new IT careers**
**  ****CA students remain**** in same organization but begin new**
**IT projects**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
CLASSES END:

  Program celebration

 NM students transferred

CA students start new IT projects

## Program Evaluation

**Program Evaluation**
**Purpose is to document Program results and provide**
**feedback for continuous improvement and Program**
**adjustments **
**Evaluation data obtained through:**
**  ****Periodic student feedback sessions **
**  ****Student performance feedback at critical milestones **
**(exams, grades/GPA, progress reports)**
**  ****Specific course feedback**
**  ****Steering Committee feedback**
**  ****After placement feedback (manager/student)**
**  ****Director/VP/EVP feedback**

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Notes:**
Throughout whole process – gathering evaluation feedback for continuous improvement & Pgm adjustments. Via:   student feedback sessions, performance measures, course feedback (smiley sheets), Steering Committee, After placement –  managers, stakeholders, and  students

  Is the process we used clear?  
  Can you see how this model could be adapted to other critical skill areas you might be experiencing?
Each time we ran a Track, we learned ways to improve it.  Jodi is going to tell you a little about our challenges, lessons learned and what we did about it.

## Challenges and Lessons Learned 

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Challenge****:**
**	****To administer challenging, intense, but**
**            “****do-able” retraining program**
**Lessons Learned:**
**	****Extended schedule from 6 to 7 months**
**    ****Added preparatory courses to curriculum**
**    ****Changed some core courses from “for credit” to**
**	****“****audit”**
**    ****Added a week in middle of Program to **
**      ****accommodate personal leave requests**

## Challenges and Lessons Learned 

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Challenge:**
**	****To determine optimum selection criteria **
**	****for predicting success**
**Lessons Learned:**
**Selection criteria expanded**
**During interviews emphasized Program intensity and performance requirements **

## Challenges and Lessons Learned 

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Challenge:**
**	****To insure placement of all students at**
**	****end of Program**
**Lesson Learned:**
**	****Placement probability increased by **
**	****only selecting candidates who had**
**	****more than one manager committing**
**	****to place them upon graduation from**
**	****the Program**

## Challenges and Lessons Learned 

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Challenge:**
**	****To assimilate students into receiving**
**	****organizations while in the Program**
**Lesson Learned:**
**	****Added more structure and monitoring**
**	****to Mentoring Program**
**	**

## Program Benefits

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Helped increase critical IT skills pool**
**Provided opportunity for top performers to    change careers without changing companies**
**Created internal openings for less critical skill areas (which could be filled both internally and externally more easily than IT jobs)**
**Graduates came to their new jobs with domain experience**
**Most graduates already had appropriate security clearances**

## Program Benefits

**Graduates had a corporate commitment and were acclimated to the Sandia culture, processes and procedures**
**Graduates had benefit of curriculum developed to meet specific SNL needs**
**Model provides for flexibility**

## Customer Satisfaction – What was most beneficial?

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**“****Student was able to step into organization at full speed with no start-up time.” **
**	****- Receiving Manager**
**“****Program provided a chance for outstanding people to change careers and move to an area of corporate need.”**
**	****- Director**
**“****Student brings domain expertise that we could not get any other way coupled with the intensive IT training.”**
**	****- Vice President**
**“****A big boost to morale.”**
**	****- Executive Vice President**

## Audience Participation ActivityQuestions & AnswersQuestion 1

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**What critical skills  shortage do you have in your organization to which you might be able to apply this model?**

**Notes:**

  What might you do different?

  What limiting barriers might you have?

  Do you think top mgt would support?

## Audience Participation ActivityQuestions & AnswersQuestion 2

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Do you have a similar retraining program?**

**Notes:**
  How does it differ from this model?

  Was is successful in meeting the need?

What would you do different?

## Audience Participation ActivityQuestions & AnswersQuestion 3

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**What do you think is the fastest growing occupation for the period 2000-2010 according to DOL predictions?**

**Notes:**
ANSWER:  
Computer software engineers, applications 

  How can you use this data to strategically prepare your org?

  How might this model be applied?

## Audience Participation ActivityQuestions & AnswersQuestion 4

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**Desktop publishing is the sixth fastest growing occupation for 2000-2010.**
**Could this model be adapted to meet this need?**
**What might be done differently?**

**Notes:**

  The California adaptation might be a good fit for this skill set: 
take people with a core set of skills, 
leave them in their current orgs to work between taking classes, 
bring in classes for this curriculum, and 
give them new desktop publishing assignments at the end of the program 

  Give them a big fat raise upon completion of the program (:<))?

## References

**Sandia**
**National**
**Laboratories**

**1.****      ****ASTD Training & Development (August 2000), **_***Getting to Know the Employee of the Future***_
**2.****      ****Bavendam Research Inc, Special Report, **_***10 Secrets to Being an Employer of Choice – Attract and Retain the Best!***_**, 9/29/00, **_[www.bavendam.com](http://www.bavendam.com/)_
**3.****      ****ISPI Performance & Instruction (April 1996), **_***Increasing the Congruence Between Course Design and Delivery: The Value-Added Hand-Off Approach***_
**4.****      ****ISPI Performance Improvement (January 1997), **_***Eight Components of Program Implementation***_
**5.****      ****ISPI Performance Improvement (April 1997), **_***Mentoring for Increased Performance: Benefits and Key Principles***_
**6.****      ****Technical Training--Learning Technology for Performance Improvement (July/August 1999), **_***California’s Answer to the Skills Shortage***_
**7.****      ****Training (May 2000), **_***How to Hang on to IT Talent***_
**8.****      ****On-Line Learning (October 2000), **_***A Few Good People – E-learning companies pull out all the stops to find qualified employees in a tight labor market***_** **
**9.****      ****Inside Technology Training (February 2000), **_***Staffing – IT Talent Slips through Crack***_
**10.  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 3b.  **_***The 10 fastest growing occupations, 1998-2008***_**,  **_[http://stats.](http://stats.bls.gov/)__[bls](http://stats.bls.gov/)__[.gov/](http://stats.bls.gov/)_** **