Professional Development - hdbk1115980035

DOE-HDBK-1115-98

6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

An important aspect of developing an STA is ongoing professional development. The

selection process can be helpful in forming the basis for long-range professional development.

Each facility should establish activities that promote the professional growth of the STA.

These activities should provide a means of career development to ensure that STAs remain

motivated in their current assignments. They should also be provided the opportunity to

increase their contribution to the facility.

Good practices that can enhance professional growth include management by objectives and

individual development plans. These approaches link individual performance to facility goals

and can provide benefits to both the organization and the individual STA.

Professional growth opportunities may be identified from sources such as facility human

resource groups or surveys of STAs. Professional development activities may include the

following:

Working for short periods in a variety of functional areas in the facility nuclear

organization to broaden their perspective and understanding of overall plant functions

Authoring operating procedures and other facility documentation

Assignments to the operations department's problem-solving and decision-making "ask

forces"

Participating in operations committees and groups (operations review, design review,

procedural review, etc.)

Participating actively in professional associations and operations-related workshops

Enrolling in company-funded college vocational/educational programs

Participating actively in professional organizations related to technical areas

Visiting other nuclear facilities to broaden their perspective and to simulate comparison

and emulation of good practices

Membership in professional organizations [American Nuclear Society (ANS), etc.].

Another important element of the professional development of STA is the day-to-day

mentoring provided by their manager. Though not formally structured or documented,

mentoring should focus on individual needs and reinforcement of management expectations,

with the results reflected in the improved performance of the STA.

An additional source of professional development is the Shift Technical Advisor Professional

Development Seminar that is described in Appendix B. The seminar would provide an

environment for STAs to share and learn from peers. This seminar should be integral part of

the ongoing development of STAs. The seminar is designed to augment, but not replace,

each facility's professional-development program for STAs.