Engineering Rating Roadmaps Update With Rank-recommended Certifications

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Learning and Development Roadmaps (LaDRs) for engineering ratings feature rank-recommended certification information via Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (Navy COOL) with the latest updates posted to Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) Aug. 22.

Updated by the Naval Education and Training Command's Center for Naval Engineering, the engineering rating LaDR updates provide the latest Sailor development information and include the linkage of rank-recommended certification information via Navy COOL and the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP).

According to the USMAP website, while earning certifications shows supervisors that Sailors are working to improve themselves while in the service, these certifications are also valuable when people leave the service and apply for civilian positions.

"As we get feedback from the fleet and the individual communities make calibrations, LaDRs will reflect the updates and remain the ultimate career reference tool," said Tom Smith, enlisted education coordinator for the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). "By adding rank-recommended indications to the Navy COOL functionality, Sailors only see the certifications that apply to them."

LaDRs are fleet-focused products that provide guidance to Sailors along a learning and development continuum specific to each rating. These online guides explain in detail what each Sailor needs to succeed at specific points in their career, including information about certifications that can help Sailors demonstrate their professional competency. The most significant change this year is the embedding of certifications and apprenticeships into the appropriate rank category for each rating.

"In addition to breaking out the Navy COOL certifications by rank, we also outlined the required and available warfare qualifications for each of the engineering ratings," said Master Chief Hull Technician (SW) Ronnie Merriman, Center for Naval Engineering staff leading chief petty officer. "[Enlisted] Surface Warfare [Specialist] is a required warfare qualification, but other pins are available depending on where a Sailor is stationed. Additional qualifications help to make a more well-rounded Sailor."

Certifications listed on the Navy COOL website with a "Navy bucks" icon match 80 percent or greater of what a Sailor either learns or performs in their rating, and have also been approved for payment or reimbursement through the Navy's Credentials Program Office. Rank icons were instituted earlier this year and will appear as each rating's LaDR is updated on NKO.

"The engineering ratings will see their certifications associated with a rank icon with the next Navy COOL Web update by the first week of September," said Keith Boring, Navy COOL program manager. "We don't want a Sailor attempting a certification that they are not qualified or prepared for, and the rank icon helps zero-in on what's appropriate for their rank and rating."

Commanders are required to ensure distribution of LaDRs to every enlisted paygrade at all commands. This can be accomplished through Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) at https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/home/. After accessing the NKO home page, select the Career Management tab, navigate along the blue side banner and select the Enlisted Learning and Development (LaDR) hyperlink. According to Chief of Naval Operations instruction (OPNAVINST) 1500.77, the LaDRs are required to be used during Career Development Boards.

Additional information about LaDRs is detailed in NAVADMIN 258-10, available through the Naval Personnel Command Web site at: http://www.npc.navy.mil/ReferenceLibrary/Messages/.