The Education and Training Department provides a variety of education and training for the PEF membership, elected representatives, and staff. These activities include designing Member Mobilizer training, designing steward training, conducting a workshop on Labor Management, working with other departments to identify a training program for staff, or assisting members in identifying resources that will assist them in meeting their educational needs. The Education and Training Department empowers the membership, leaders and staff to successfully represent the union on a variety of issues by providing information and building skills at all levels of the organization. In turn, the information the department provides helps members to improve their own job and career opportunities.

The department is also a resource to the PEF Representatives to the Professional Development Committee. In this capacity, the Director, and staff when needed, researches issues relevant to the topics under discussion by the Professional Development Committee. In addition, staff implements programs agreed to by the committee and communicates information concerning all programs to the elected leaders, members and other staff.

The Education and Training Department is one of the lead departments responsible for building PEF into a mobilizing union through the education of the PEF elected leaders, staff and members. Through the education and training of elected leaders and staff and their communication to and education of their members, the PEF membership will be reorganized and become more active in the union.

To accomplish its goals, objectives and responsibilities, the department staff works with staff from other PEF departments, elected leaders, staff from the international unions and outside consultants to design and develop our training programs. Our union based training programs incorporate real life issues faced by PEF members on the job to enhance the learning process and prepare the participants to implement what they have learned back at their worksites. The training programs are delivered by staff from Education and Training and other appropriate PEF departments.

Major Activities

The Education and Training Department has worked hard during this year and to successfully achieve our goals and objectives and to meet our responsibilities.

We have over the past year continued to use our union-based training to build member knowledge and involvement in the programs and policies important to the PEF Membership.

• We provided services and information to local leaders and members by offering union-based training through the division, region, or work-site structure.

• We designed and delivered basic steward training in concert with regional coordinators and field staff.

• We assisted the Regional Coordinators from Regions 4, 10, 11 and 12 to design, develop and implement the training for their Annual Regional Leadership Conferences.

• We coordinated the workshops being presented at PEF's Convention.

• We continue to provide study guides to assist the membership in preparing for Civil Service Examinations.

We also work with the Member Mobilizing Committee, PEF elected leaders, and staff at every level to provide them with the necessary skills to continue to mobilize and represent our membership.

In addition to these programs and objectives, the department has been involved in several large projects. The Director is the designee of the President for internal labor relations in PEF’s dealings with the staff union, the United Steelworkers of America, Local 9265. At this writing PEF continues to be in negotiations with USWA Local 9265 for a mutually agreeable successor agreement.

Staff represent PEF on a task force with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, the Office of Technology, CSEA and many State agencies analyzing, evaluating and implementing, where possible, the use of new technologies for workplace learning.

Goals for the Future

During the next year, the Education and Training Department is committed to continuing to expand its training programs to reach more members. We are investigating ways of providing long distance training opportunities for PEF members and elected leaders. We will continue to use union-based training to build member mobilization, knowledge and involvement. We will continue to work with the Professional Development Committee to increase PEF member’s educational, professional development, career advancement and credentialing needs. We will continue to work with the Department Managers and PEF staff to provide training in the skills necessary to build PEF into a mobilizing union.