3.2.1.3 Professional Development Program Copy URL
The repository shall have in place an active professional development program that provides staff with skills and expertise development opportunities.
This is necessary to ensure that staff skill sets evolve as the repository technology and preservation procedures change.
Professional development plans and reports; training requirements and training budgets, documentation of training expenditures (amount per staff); performance goals and documentation of staff assignments and achievements, copies of certificates awarded.
Technology and general practices for digital preservation will continue to change, as will the requirements of its Designated Community, so the repository must ensure that its staff’s skill sets evolve. Ideally the repository will meet this requirement through a lifelong learning approach to developing and retaining staff.
APTrust staff are employees of the University of Virginia (UVA) and receive the same support for professional development as other employees of the University Library at UVA. In addition to the professional development benefits for all UVA staff, University Library creates two budgets every year, one for required travel and training, and one for employee-initiated travel and training. Each Library staff member gets annual funding for employee-initiated travel and training. In addition, the Library will pay for travel and training when participation by an APTrust staff member is required by Library administration or when training is essential for a staff member’s job to evolve skill sets as needed or to prepare them for additional assignments.
University Library staff undergo a performance management review throughout each year, with goals and two mandatory meetings throughout the year to review job performance. Professional development needs should be discussed throughout the year as well as during the two job performance meetings. More about UVA’s performance management system can be found here.
See Section 3.2.1 for additional evidence related to this section.