Technology for training recommendations under way

A federal task force is preparing to submit recommendations to the White

House on how the government can use technology to improve training opportunities

for federal employees.

For a little more than a year, the President's Task Force on Federal

Training Technology has been working to establish a policy on how agencies

can incorporate technology into their training plans. The task force was

formed through an executive order signed by President Clinton in January

last year.

E.B. Blanton, executive director of the President's Task Force on Federal

Training Technology at the Office of Personnel Management, last week detailed

recommendations that the group is likely to submit to the president in July.

The recommendations include:

* Using OMB Circular A-11 to require agencies to integrate training

goals and measures in the annual budget process.

* Establishing a training technology resource center to serve as a one-stop

shop to promote technology-based training solutions.

* Establishing an interagency standards group to promote standards.

* Establishing a training technology innovation fund that would fund

agency research and development and start-up costs for technology-based

training initiatives.

* Rolling out an aggressive awareness program on the benefits of using

technology-based training to train the federal work force.