Focus on Focus Week: Registration open for free training courses

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Registration for the third Focus Week of 2019, scheduled for July 22-26 at the 88th Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, will continue from now until the day before each course is held.

This Focus Week iteration spotlights performance improvement for both the individual and organization. A wide variety of class subjects will be conducted throughout the week, making it possible for individuals to improve current performance and contribute to future career aspirations.

The goal of the Focus Week program is to enhance mission viability and improve quality of life for Airmen while implementing collaborative projects that provide mutual value to the government and local communities.

Courses include:

Air Force Institute of Technology Education Opportunities for Civilians – Join an overview briefing and learn about educational opportunities available at AFIT for civilians, from certificates to master’s and doctorate degrees. The course will also include a tour of several of AFIT’s world-class research labs where Focus Week participants can experience firsthand the cutting-edge work in areas such as autonomous and cooperative systems, GPS navigation, cyber security, space and directed energy.

Balancing Work and Personal Life – A hectic, unbalanced lifestyle can prevent enjoyment of personal relationships, interfere with productivity at work and harm one’s health. This class helps participants assess how they manage their numerous roles to create an integrated life.

Basics of the Government Purchase Card – This course will cover basic information and important reminders about how the GPC program works. The course will be taught by two GPC agency/organization program coordinators and is intended for cardholders, approving officials, financial managers and anyone who wishes to know more about the GPC program. The course will last about one hour, including time for questions and answers.

Building a Culture of Trust – Participants will learn to improve communication and productivity by increasing their ability to develop, restore and extend trust in key relationships.

Bullet Writing Basics – This course is designed to give skills needed to effectively start writing bullets: how to start a bullet, structure it in the appropriate format, along with tips and tricks for first-timers. This is a basic-level course for individuals, mainly civilians, who have not been exposed to bullets on a regular basis.

Bullying in the Workplace – This class will define what bullying is, what it is not, and how bullying differs from harassment. Participants will be able to identify behaviors associated with bullying in the workplace and discuss recommended strategies and appropriate courses of action to address and effectively counter workplace bullying.

Burnout and Stress Management – When someone experiences stress or when stress lasts too long, it can be harmful; burnout is one possible outcome. This class addresses ways to prevent burnout.

Colors Personality – This course helps students discover values, understand how they can get along better with others and have a clearer understanding of a person’s approach and preference in their work and personal life. This training can help with opening lines of communication and reducing personal misunderstandings and help people communicate better with each other.

Conflict Management in the Workplace – Creative competition drives innovation; harmful conflict is the root cause of a toxic work environment. The class explores the differences between the two along with types of conflict, levels, sources, interpersonal tools to consider, approaches and a four-step model that guides re-establishing trust between parties. The class concludes with a group practical exercise.

Discover No-Cost e-Resources and Databases – The Air Force Library Programs offers numerous online resources and databases at no cost to Air Force personnel (active duty and civilians). Resources include EBSCO Research Databases, Gale Online, Academic Search Ultimate, eBooks, audiobooks, Mango Languages, Ancestry Library Edition, streaming movies, and so much more for augmenting professional or personal interests.

Dynamic Team Building – Discover how to build a team from the ground up. This instructor-led course provides guidelines for developing team mission statements, discusses Tuckman’s theory of team building, defines individual roles within a team and how to deal with team conflict. This fun and interactive course includes many good ideas for anyone seeking to build or strengthen a team.

Emotional Intelligence: A Different Way of Being Smart – Have you ever wondered why some people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well? Explore a different way of thinking about intelligence and how it can strengthen personal and professional lives. Learning what scientists have discovered can make you happier, healthier and more intuitive, leading toward a more intellectually enriched life.

Generations in the Workplace – Four fully represented generations now exist in the workplace. Never before has this happened in our country. Some do not see age as a great difference, but indeed, the mindsets of these generations are radically different.

Family Medical Leave Act – The Family Medical Leave Act entitles Federal employees to a total of 12 administrative workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for serious health conditions. This training will cover leave entitlement, eligibility to invoke FMLA, what’s considered a serious health condition, substitution of leave, medical documentation required and more.

Federal Resumé Writing – The federal resumé class covers two parts: the first goes over the new changes to the process and how it impacts resumés. The second part covers how to create an effective resumé that gets results. The class will also touch on USA Jobs application manager; considering how to build or up load a resumé; checking on application status; saving documents; and creating a job search agent.

Injury Prevention – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans die from violence and injuries — such as motor vehicle crashes or falls — than from any other cause, including cancer, HIV or the flu. Injuries are more common than we think, but they’re also more preventable.

Taking Control of Email – This class provides basic information required to set up a formal email/task management system through learning a better way to use Outlook. It will reveal common productivity traps and solutions. You can have a “zero inbox”, clearly understand your tasks and greatly increase your productivity and reduce stress by learning a better way to use Outlook.

Writing for Professional Growth (AcqDemo and DPMAP) – Writing for Professional Growth provides assistance to employees under the AcqDemo and DPMAP pay plans to write better self-assessment performance statements. This two-hour, instructor-led course attempts to dispel confusion regarding writing models used to address performance accountability. The course covers the SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely), STAR Statements (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and CRI Statements (Contribution, Result, Impact) used in performance writing.

Registration is open to all 88 ABW employees, military and civilian. The wider Wright-Patterson AFB audience is encouraged to attend as space allows.

To register via MyETMS (Education and Training Management System), go to https://myetms.wpafb.af.mil. Click on the self-registration tab.

A tutorial is provided on the MyETMS home page for first-time users. Search 88 ABW and click go. Hover your pointer over View Class Comments for full course descriptions.

For more information, contact Barry Cumberland, Human Resources specialist, 88th Force Support Squadron Workforce Development, at 904-4799 or barry.cumberland@us.af.mil.

AFLCMC Focus Week

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Summer Focus Week sessions will take place July 22-26.

Focus Week is a period set aside quarterly to accomplish mandatory, leadership, acquisition training to gain continuous learning points, as well as knowledge from a different discipline. Focus Weeks provide vital acquisition training, policy updates, core skills and operational perspectives to the acquisition community.

Students may participate in these events either in person or online (for some courses), allowing AFLCMC to reach numerous geographic locations.

Registration is now available for most courses via the Acquisition Now Continuous Learning website, however additional courses offerings may become available as Focus Week approaches. Search for course offerings by going to https://www.atrrs.army.mil/channels/acqnowcl/, click on “Apply for a CL Event” and search under AFLCMC Focus Week. A more detailed course catalog will be distributed via email to employees or can be obtained by emailing the AFLCMC Focus Week point of contact at jason.sibrel@us.af.mil.