Civilian career development webcasts slated Sept. 27, 29 and 30 Published Sept. 23, 2011 By Debbie Gildea Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Webcasts developed to help GS-7 through GS-11 civilian Airmen plan and manage their careers continue through the next five weeks, beginning with a Sept. 27 webcast at 8 a.m. Sessions have been earmarked for eligible civilians based on command. "This is our largest civilian Airman population," said Loretta Brown, the leadership development program office chief. "We want to make sure every interested member is able to sit in on the webcast and take advantage of this critical career information, but we were concerned that the host site would not accommodate such a large number of participants." Every session will include the same information, Brown said, including such topics as planning for the next job, how education affects careers, and more. The webcast series illustrates the Air Force's commitment to developing Airmen, she explained. "The Air Force deliberately develops all Airmen to ensure they are able to fully contribute to the mission and achieve their own career goals," Brown said. "These webcasts will help civilian Airmen understand their growth options and enable them to plan their careers." Civilian institutional development programs exist at every leadership level in a "continuum of learning" created in 2009 to ensure civilians have opportunities to achieve necessary proficiency levels. In support of that continuum, the webcasts will focus specifically on GS-7 through GS-11 employees. Webcast dates and times include the following: Sept. 27, 8 a.m. U.S. Air Forces in Europe Air Force Global Strike Command U.S. Special Operations Command Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center U.S. Central Command U.S. Transportation Command Office of Special Investigation Air Weather Service Air Force Public Affairs Agency Air Force Petroleum Agency Air Force Review Boards Agency Air Force Real Property Sept. 29, 9:30 a.m. Air Force Audit Agency Air Combat Command Sept. 30, 9:30 a.m. Air Force Reserve Command Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. Air Education and Training Command Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m. Air Mobility Command Air Force Personnel Center Air Force Manpower Agency Air Force Personnel Operations Agency Air Force Security Forces Air Force Services Agency Oct. 6, 2 p.m. U.S. Northern Command U.S. Air Force Academy North American Aerospace Defense Command U.S. Strategic Command Air Force Space Command Pacific Air Forces U.S. Atlantic Command Although employees should try to log in on their unit's date and time, Those who are unable to do so may log in during one of the other sessions, officials said. Supervisors are encouraged to listen in as well so that they are able to support their employees' development plans. Subject matter experts will be online to provide real-time answers to questions during both webcasts. "We also encourage people to gather in larger groups in a conference room or office area and log in on one computer to alleviate congestion and enable as many people as possible to participate in the webcast," Brown said. To join the webcast, go to https://connect.dco.dod.mil/dpi. Those registered with Defense Connect Online will use their user names and passwords to log in, but participants can log in as guests as well. Login access will be available 60 minutes prior to each webcast. Logging in during the webcast increases the possibility of the webcast falling offline, so participants are asked to log in before the webcast begins. Those who log in as guests must provide their names and bases to be invited to the session. Slides will be available by 8 a.m. the day of the webcast at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/app/answers/detail/a_id/12998/kw/DCO%20Webcast/r_id/100169. Click on the 2011 webcast/webinars tab under the civilian webcast and webinars section. Some computers may not run the DCO program, which requires Adobe® Flash Player 8. To ensure they have access, participants should test their configuration at https://connect.dco.dod.mil/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. For more information about civilian education and development opportunities or other personnel issues, visit the secure Air Force personnel services website at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.