NASA (Non-Academic Staff Association [UofA]) Newsletter

At OLE, we are proud to be recognized among the leaders and developers of learning and development on campus at the UofA. Check out an excerpt on learning and development opportunities from the April issue of the NASA newsletter entitled @WORK  (Sent 23 April 2013):

 

Learning & Development Opportunities—Everywhere You Look

There are a number of venues from which you can access learning. There are also a variety of funding sources that you might be able to use in pursuit of your development goals. Within the Collective Agreement, you will find tuition remission for University (of Alberta) Credit Courses as well as the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). They provide support in very different ways.

 After one year of service, Regular and Auxiliary employees are entitled to a subsidy for credit courses. Tuition remission applies only to the instructional fee attached to the credit course; as a student, you are still responsible for all the non-instructional fees (e.g. Library, Computer, etc.). The number of courses eligible will vary depending on whether you are a full-time or part-time employee.

 HRDF, on the other hand, provides funding on a “first come, first served basis” for Regular, Auxiliary and Casual Level 2 employees without the service requirement. Funding comes from a fixed pool so when it runs out, it is out until the next fiscal year. HRDF will support all kinds of learning events, including conference attendance and on-line learning opportunities. Again, the amount of funding you are eligible for depends on your employment status.

 Benefitted staff should not forget, the Personal Spending Account, newly established in January 2013. These dollars can be used not only for fitness related courses and memberships but also for learning and development.

 All staff can access the various workshops and seminars available through Organizational Learning and Effectiveness (OLE). This department also provides the Supervisory Development Program, the Advantage Program, the Pathway Learning Series and oversees Skillsoft (a broad array of on-line education that works on skills like communications and conflict resolution as well as training on the Microsoft Office Suite and Google Apps). Another department within Human Resources hosting development events is Health Promotion and WorkLife Services. They offer a wide variety of topics through their Lunch ‘n Learn series but also offer programs like Twelve Weeks to Wellness.

 If you have questions about where you might access learning or what is available to you, please call the NASA Office and speak to your Labour Relations Officer.

NASA Contact:
Phone: 780-439-3181
Email: nasa@ualberta.ca
www.nasa.ualberta.ca

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