Wage Grade Academy

Target Audience:

Wage Grade Professionals and others working in or directly supporting the FWS Maintenance Programs in refuges, fisheries, and Ecological Services (equipment operators, maintenance workers, tractor operators, animal caretakers, mechanics, boat operators).

Summary and Objectives:

This course is designed to lay a working foundation for Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Wage Grade professionals. The Wage Grade Academy will provide an overview of Service philosophy and policy, conservation history, career development, and IT applications and databases. The training encourages teambuilding and networking between Wage Grade professionals to create working solutions, acquire answers to work challenges, and generate a broad information platform resource.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the Service philosophy and mission.
• Engage with peers to share best practices and build connections within the Wage Grade community.
• Describe the role Wage Grade has played in conservation history.
• Build a foundation of participants own career path, while exploring the Wage Grade career ladder.
• Describe how the Service's asset management and real property program affect the work of the Wage grade professional.

Competency Addressed:

Organizational Awareness - Basic, Mission Focus - Basic, Interpersonal Skills - Intermediate, Relationship Management - Intermediate, Teamwork - Intermediate, Problem Solving - Intermediate, Leveraging Technology - Basic, Self-Awareness - Basic