TRAINING

The Parties agree that the Agency determines individual training methods and needs. Employees will be given the opportunity to receive training in a fair and equitable manner.

If an employee's developmental training is interrupted for thirty (30) days or more, the employee shall be granted sufficient training time to attain the level of proficiency he/she had at the time of the interruption, prior to the resumption of the remaining allotted training hours. The employee's evaluations and/or training reports shall be used by the Agency to determine when the employee's former level of proficiency has been re- attained.

Familiarization trips on duty time by employees to visit other ATC facilities shall be permitted. Familiarization trips under this Article are subject to operational needs and staffing limitations. The purpose of these trips shall be to familiarize personnel with the operation of other facilities. The use of government vehicles may be authorized for this purpose.

Pending the availability of funds, the Agency may establish outside career development training programs to support employees pursuing academic degrees that support specific organizational and mission-related requirements.

All programs are subject to the provisions of HRPM LD-5.11, Continuous Learning - Formal Education, and HRPM LD-5.5, Learning and Development - Administration.

Remedial training shall only be administered to correct documented deficiencies in an employee's performance. When an employee is to be given remedial training, he/she shall be notified in writing of the specific areas to be covered and the reasons therefore. The training shall be confined to those specific areas. Only these specific subject areas shall be entered into the training record. Any remedial training shall be in accordance with FAA Order 3120.4.

Employees may voluntarily enroll in Agency-directed study courses designed to improve their work performance, expand their capabilities, and increase their utility to the Agency. Through the FAA Academy, employees may participate in a multi-disciplined approach to distance learning. The Agency may allow personnel to devote duty time to the study of these courses.

In the event the Agency issues a waiver to any of its training directives, the waiver shall be issued in writing and a copy shall be forwarded to the Union at the corresponding level.

When a training review board is convened, the Union shall have the opportunity to designate a participant to serve as a member of the board. The purpose of the training review process is to ensure that all reasonable opportunities for training success were utilized while maintaining the integrity of the training program in accordance with FAA Order 3120.4. The review board shall be scheduled at a time and date that is agreeable to all board members. If the Air Traffic Manager does not accept the recommendations of the training review board, he/she shall provide written justification to the board. Probationary employees will be included in this process.

If the employee meets with the training review board, and the employee reasonably believes disciplinary/adverse action may result from such meeting, the employee may be accompanied to the meeting by a Union representative in accordance with Article 6 of this Agreement.