DAU develops multi-level approach to vanishing workforce crisis.

According to a Department of Defense report, more than half of the DoD acquisition, technology, and logistics workforce will be eligible to retire by the year 2005. In an effort to avert the potential crisis, Michael Wynne, acting under secretary of defense (AT & L), and the Defense Acquisition University are developing strategic workforce plans to identify and attract DoD candidates for future employment. One such initiative is a pilot program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to be implemented by DAU.

The goals of the program are to educate high school students about the DoD through speakers, a mentor program, and job shadowing; to encourage them to pursue careers in the AT & L career field; and to recruit college students to co-op at Wright-Patterson, providing them the opportunity to enroll in selected DAU courses. The emphases of the program are not only to educate a new workforce, but also to enhance DoD's ability to retain the young people as employees after they complete the co-op and graduate from college.

High School Pilot Program. A new business tech prep program "Procurement, Acquisition, Logistics and Supply Chain Management" (or PALS) introduces high school students to acquisition and logistics career fields as part of their general business studies. The curriculum was developed by a collaborative team of secondary and post-secondary educators coordinated by Sinclair Community College, and a consortium of business and government entities: Boeing Corporation; Columbus Chamber of Commerce; DAU; Dayton Power and Light; Defense Logistics Agency; Defense Supply Center Columbus; Dick Lavy Trucking; Excel Technology; Jarrett Logistics Systems; Limited Brands Logistics Services; Lockheed Martin; Neilson Enterprise; The Learning Center; and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

DAU will be visiting high schools this year to get the word out about PALS. Students interested in the PALS program should contact their high school counselor or Bob Sheehan, tech prep liaison, Sinclair Community College, at [phone].

College Pilot Program. The college pilot seeks to find junior and senior college students who are interested in gaining co-op experience in an acquisition career field at Wright-Patterson. Funding for the program will be available for the 2004-2005 academic year. Co-op opportunities will be available initially in engineering, contracting, logistics, program management, and financial management. As the program expands, a wider variety of co-op opportunities will be offered. Students will be able to take DAU courses during their junior and senior years in college, and upon graduation, they will become Level I certified in an acquisition career field.

DAU is partnering to explore course equivalencies with Sinclair Community College, Edison College Wright State University, the University of Dayton, Clark State University, Central Michigan University, Wilberforce University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The goal is to make it possible for college students to receive college credit for DAU courses.