DDR&E, Advanced Capabilities
DDR&E, Advanced Capabilities
WORKFORCE
WORKFORCE
Department of Defense (DoD) Engineering partners with the Military Services and other defense agencies (DoD’s “fourth estate”) to identify workforce challenges and champion initiatives to ensure DoD maintains its advantage in Warfighter readiness in a rapidly evolving technological environment. Cross-cutting workforce initiatives focus on building technical capability and capacity to support current and future leadership priorities in three main categories:
Forecasting
Forecasting for future talent needs: Examining emerging technologies and engineering methods that will require new or updated technical skills
Advancing
Advancing our current workforce: Broadening critical thinking abilities, increasing levels of creativity, and strengthening communication and leadership skills to develop and field effective warfighting systems, sustain our high‐tech military capabilities, and retain technological superiority
Managing
Managing workforce competencies and gaps: Addressing potential competency gaps that may result as the workforce ages
Resources
DoD Advanced Technical Degree Guidebook
The Deputy Director for Engineering published the DoD Advanced Technical Degree Guidebook, November 2020, to assist DoD civilian engineers and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) personnel in attaining technical master’s degrees, graduate certificates, and PhDs. The guidebook describes the process for selecting, applying, and paying for advanced education through opportunities such as Components’ tuition assistance and scholarship offerings. A cohort of DoD engineers and other STEM personnel across the Components piloted the guidebook and provided feedback in its development.
DoDI 5000.66
Defense Acquisition Workforce Education, Training, Experience, and Career Development Program
DoDI 1400.25
Volume 250, Civilian Strategic Human Capital Planning
Functional Communities
Engineering (Non-Construction) and Quality Assurance
The Engineering (Non-Construction) workforce (a majority of the 08XX job series) consists of approximately 85,000 acquisition and non-acquisition personnel, and the Quality Assurance workforce (1910 job series) consists of approximately 9,300 acquisition and non-acquisition personnel to support DoD missions. The Deputy Director for Engineering serves as the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Functional Community Manager (OFCM) for both functional communities.
OFCM responsibilities are in accordance with DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1400.25, Volume 250, Civilian Strategic Human Capital Planning.
Acquisition Career Fields
Engineering; Production, Quality, and Manufacturing; and Test and Evaluation
Engineering
Production, Quality, & Manufacturing
Test & Evaluation
DoD Engineering ensures the Engineering (approximately 45,000); Production, Quality, and Manufacturing (approximately 11,000); and Test and Evaluation (approximately 9,000) acquisition workforces are certified, current, qualified, and have the capability and capacity to meet current and future leadership priorities. The Deputy Director for Engineering serves as the Functional Leader (FL) for these career fields.
Functional Leader responsibilities are in accordance with DoDI 5000.66, Defense Acquisition Workforce Education, Training, Experience, and Career Development Program.
DoD Communities
Strengthen Organic Engineering Workforce (SOEW)
Purpose
Forecast for future talent needs, advance our current workforce, and manage our workforce competencies and gaps
Membership
Military Service and DoD Fourth Estate Engineering Functional Executives
Contact
Send email to OUSD(R&E) Engineering Workforce Team
Workforce Definitions
A group of one or more occupational series or specialties with common functions, competencies, and career paths to accomplish a specific part of the DoD mission. Functional communities engage in workforce planning to ensure mission accomplishment by preparing for emerging missions and changing work requirements; developing competency models, assessing workforce competencies, and identifying mission-critical workforce gaps; identifying recruitment, development, and retention strategies to fill workforce gaps; providing career roadmaps with a “line of sight” for employee career development; and advocating individual competency assessments and development plans to help employees progress and meet professional standards. (DoDI 1400.24, vol 250)
CONTACT US
Send an email to the Engineering Workforce Team.
DDR&E(AC)
Directorate of Defense Research and
Engineering for Advanced Capabilities
The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301
Contact Us
Information for DDR&E(AC): Contact OUSD(R&E) Staff
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