News

Robins SLWG to develop tool for future workforce success

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The Robins Senior Leader Working Group met Monday to focus on building a process that corporately identifies workforce qualifications and experiences, and determines what factors are important to filling future senior leadership positions. 

The move - part of an Air Force Sustainment Center initiative - will also apply to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center organizations across Robins. 

To prepare for future retirements at Robins, it's critical to not only identify and develop employees at the GS-14 and 15 levels, but to ensure any experience, training and education are captured at the GS-13 level and below. 

There are currently a combined 111 GS-15 employees across AFSC and AFLCMC. There are 361 GS-14s, 1,901 GS-13s and 3,629 GS-12s. 

This week's succession planning tool will create a workforce profile, giving leaders a picture of the workforce, then use that tool to build a bench to measure the strength of the current workforce. 

Once gaps are identified, that allows strategies to be developed to close those gaps, according to Tony Baumann, Contracting director and Senior Executive Service leader at Robins.

"Do we have a large enough pool of people to ensure we have successors? This will help us look at the population, see where the gaps are and to take action to plug holes," he said. 

The group will begin with GS-15 positions to design the tool since it's the smallest population. 

"This gives us an opportunity to talk across the different centers, about jobs that will open, giving people a chance to try something a little different," said Britt Covington, Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex vice director.  

"You have to have a broad level of job exposure to qualify for higher-level roles," said Robert Zwitch, F-15 Division deputy chief. "If we do this right and communicate to the workforce, the possibilities for people competing for future jobs will be pretty significant."  

Editor's note: The group - described as a loosely-formed confederation - meets monthly to discuss personnel-oriented issues at Robins, and discusses ways to ensure the workforce is best qualified and ready to meet the needs of the future.