Advanced Competencies for the Administrative Professional of the 21st Century
2012 NACo Achievement Award Winner
San Diego County, Calif., CA
Best In Category
About the Program
Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)
Year: 2012
A decreasing workforce and increasing numbers of San Diego residents needing services spawned the creation of a rigorous training program to empower administrative support staff at the Health & Human Services Agency to develop the skills needed to meet these heightened demands. Advanced Competencies for the Administrative Professional of the 21st Century (ACAP21) is a seven week blended learning program that targets seven competencies: technology, professionalism, teamwork, flexibility, communications, customer service, and organization/time management. This program is infused with new technologies and is specifically designed to provide participants with opportunities to practice, demonstrate, and apply the skills they acquire throughout the program. To facilitate transfer of knowledge to the workplace the participantâs supervisors are asked to coach their employees on these seven competencies.ACAP21 has graduated 81 employees who are demonstrating results. In post-program surveys, 82% of graduates report enhanced productivity and 28% report they have been given more responsibility. Participant supervisors have reported improvements in all seven of the competencies targeted with a 10% increase in both technology usage and demonstrated professionalism; and a 9% increase in organization, time management, communications, and customer service skills.