Occ. Code 1464100

AGENCY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST 1, GRADE 18

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

NATURE OF WORK

            Agency Training and Development Specialists 1 develop and present segments of an agency training program designed to improve the on-the-job knowledge and abilities of clerical, technical, supervisory and administrative personnel to better enable them to carry out an agency’s mission.

            They are found in many State agencies and are typically located in the agency’s human resources office.

CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

            The Agency Training and Development Specialist 1 class is characterized by responsibility for developing and presenting specific portions of an agency’s training program.  Courses of instruction include generalized courses in supervisory and clerical practices as well as courses designed to meet a specific agency need.  It is distinguished from the Agency Training and Development Specialist 2 in that the latter class is responsible for the overall planning and organizing of an entire agency’s training program or a major segment of it and may supervise lower level staff.

            This class is distinguished from Senior Training Technician classes with various parenthetics in that those classes require specialized knowledge and skills acquired by experience in the fields indicated by the parenthetics.

            Agency Training and Development Specialists 1 are distinguished from the Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist series by their responsibility for developing and conducting training programs requiring the knowledge of supervisory, procedural and administrative concepts, whereas, positions in the Mental Hygiene Staff Development Specialist series are responsible for staff development programs requiring the knowledge of specific concepts and techniques in the treatment of the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled and those with alcohol or other chemical addictions.

            The Social Services Human Resource Development Specialist series performs similar tasks as the Agency Training and Development Specialist series but that series is responsible for the developing, planning, organizing and implementing human resource development programs for local social services’ agencies and the Office of Children and Family Services and Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

            Senior Personnel Administrators may perform many of the tasks listed in this standard.  However, such tasks do not involve the majority of their work which consists of activities associated with classification, employees’ services and staff selection.

TYPICAL ACTIVITIES, TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Develops and presents specific training courses in an agency’s training program.

· Identifies specific training needs by reviewing agency programs and by discussing staff and program requirements with program managers.

· Develops a training program to meet identified needs by determining course content and method of presentation and obtaining training materials.

· Prepares proposals for training programs utilizing funds provided for in State and employee agreements and for Management/Confidential training.

· Presents training courses obtaining outside instructors or personally conducting course and selecting audiovisual teaching aids.

· Reviews outside instructors’ lesson plans to insure they agree with course outlines.

· Makes arrangements for training courses including scheduling classroom space, setting up classroom, obtaining required equipment, material and supplies, etc.

· Prepares lesson plans for those courses conducted personally.

· Presents ideas, concepts, and factual information to “trainees” in a classroom setting orally and by the use of training aids.

· Replies to questions from “trainees” regarding material presented.

· Evaluates training course through the use of questionnaires, review of work reports or supervisory evaluation.

· Maintains employee attendance records for all training courses and issues certificates to employees completing the courses.

Informs employees and program managers of available training and educational opportunities.

· Disseminates training announcements and information concerning educational opportunities.

· Provides specific information and course applications for those employees who may have a direct interest in a training course.

· Selects employees for training courses and educational opportunities based on relevant of courses to employee’s work, budgetary restraints and class size.

· Maintains records of employees interested in participating in specific training programs.

Assists program managers and supervisors in developing on-the-job training procedures.

· Reviews on-the-job training procedures with supervisors for relevance.

· Updates training manuals with the assistance of supervisors.

· Recommends specialized training courses to correct problems or to familiarize staff with new programs, policies or procedures.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

            Agency Training and Development Specialists 1 have frequent oral communication with all levels of agency staff in determining and identifying individual and group training needs.  Incumbents of positions in these classes inform agency staff of the availability of training and educational opportunities.  They teach training courses which involve the presentation of practical and theoretical concepts.

            Incumbents participate in discussions with other training positions and outside instructors to assess training courses and modify them in order to more effectively meet the needs of the agency staff.

NATURE OF SUPERVISION

            Incumbents of positions in this class are usually supervised by an Agency Training and Development Specialist 2.  Assignments are made in terms of basic agency training needs with suggestions of ways of meeting them.  The incumbents are free to develop specific training courses within those needs but such courses usually are approved by the supervisor and program administrators for adherence to training objectives before they are implemented.  Incumbents are instructed in teaching techniques by their supervisors on their presentations and are evaluated by classroom observations and reviewing trainee evaluations.

            Incumbents of this class generally have no supervisory responsibility.  However, they may provide advice and assistance to Agency Training and Development Specialist Trainees and assign and review the work of a small clerical staff on a periodic basis.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

· Working knowledge of the resources, methodology and trends in employee training.

· Working knowledge of the theory, principles and techniques of staff development.

· Working knowledge of the theory, principles and techniques of instruction.

· Working knowledge of subject matter presented.

· Basic knowledge of the human developmental process.

· Ability to plan, describe and organize training designs, course outlines and lesson plans.

· Ability to orally communicate clearly and effectively to groups of “trainees” and agency program staff.

· Ability to communicate in writing descriptive materials in a clear and concise manner.

· Ability to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program.

· Ability to prepare audiovisual material for use in training courses.

· Ability to evaluate training courses.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

            Satisfactory completion of one year as an Agency Training and Development Specialist Trainee 2.

Reviewed:  4/04

NOTE:  Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe.  Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class.  The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written.  Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.