Training and Development 327
Employees meet with Upward Mobility Program counselors to discuss the
education required for the chosen position. When the employees obtain
the necessary degree or license, they are issued a credential.
The certifi cate track is for positions that require employees to pass
written profi ciency exams before they can enroll in specifi c courses. The
exam identifi es which classes, if any, are required. Employees take courses
related to the sections of the exam in which they did not demonstrate pro-
fi ciency. After employees complete the required course work, they are retested.
After they demonstrate profi ciency in all segments of the exam, they are
issued a certifi cate. The certifi cate gives an employee priority for the next
vacancy in that title in any agency, even if the title is in another bargaining
unit job. Seniority prevails should two or more employees with certifi cates
apply for the same position (State of Illinois, 2008).
Managerial and Executive Development
Problem - solving skills, initiative, the ability to function as a team player,
interpersonal skills, and the creativity to seize opportunities are some of
the critical skills managers and executives of public and nonprofi t agencies
need to guide their agencies. Technical experience and competence are no
longer enough; public and nonprofi t organizations need leaders with the
vision to direct and guide their agencies as city, state, and federal funding
are cut and donations cannot make up the difference.
Montgomery County, Maryland, estimates that 50 percent of its senior
managers will be eligible for retirement in 2010 (Ibarra, 2006; Turque,
2006), and as a result it developed the Manager Development Program
(MDP), with the theme “ preparing tomorrow ’ s leaders, ” to enhance the
leadership competencies of potential county managers and the occupa-
tional mobility of county employees. Faced with impending retirements
and the loss in workforce skills and knowledge, the MDP focuses on fi ve
leadership competencies: customer service excellence; cultural diversity and
inclusiveness; responsiveness and accountability; high standards and ethi-
cal behavior; and teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration. (Exhibit 11. 1
presents the defi nitions.)
The Management Development Program Application package is
completed by a candidate, who submits it to his or her immediate super-
visor, who submits it to the division manager, who then submits it to the
department director. After review, the department director submits it to
the Offi ce of Human Resources, which turn submits it to the Leadership
