A state government program that would offer courses online and utilize institutions of higher education may increase the sufficiency of training programs for state employees.
The "Arizona government university" bill proposes to create more career options for state employees by providing online training and by framing a standard training format for all agencies to follow.
Required courses would be available via Internet and a centralized registry system would be implemented if the bill passes.
If a state agency plans to participate with the state university program, it would pay a training fee for its employees.
The bill passed in the Senate last week and is being sent to the House for review.
Bill sponsor Sen. Ruth Solomon, D-Tucson, said the program would be more cost-effective since it provides a basis of training that can be applied to most state agencies.
Training services have been costly in the past since many employees were required to re-train when transferring to other departments.
The Department of Administration (DOA), which handles the personnel and staffing for state agencies, is the main advocate of the bill and will implement the program if bill is signed into law.
"The DOA would work in conjunction with community colleges and universities to set the standards for the best practices," said bill supporter Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe.
Knaperek said since the recommendation comes from the executive branch, problems have probably existed in the past, which is why the DOA is working to make the system more efficient.
The bill has surfaced at a time where increased training for airline employees has become a necessary demand in light of the recent terrorist threats.
The potential program would provide state administrators with internal access to employee training records, which could help detect staff members who have not completed their required training.
Efforts to advance the system technologically would be especially beneficial for state employees who could avoid unnecessary travel by training online and could dismiss paperwork since records would already be filed in a centralized database.
Reach the reporter at joanne.yuan@asu.edu.
