Professional Development Key to Industrial Base.

• Author: Hubbard, Sandra
• Position: Policy Points

* When analyzing the most pressing issues that impact the defense industrial base, continuing education is often overlooked.

As a result, serious questions have arisen. For example, how can professionals in the defense industrial base maintain knowledge on current best practices? Additionally, where can they obtain high-quality training to ensure operational excellence and compliance with always changing regulatory requirements?

Professionals working within, or with, the defense industrial base routinely encounter complex business and technical problems. They must navigate the complexities of doing business with the Defense Department and other federal agencies, while employing a deep understanding of the warfighters' critical needs necessary to compete in all domains of warfare.

The defense industrial base consists of a highly diverse group of companies with wide-ranging capabilities. However, their access to professional development opportunities varies widely. This is problematic for an industrial base whose health is reliant upon all of its members.

The health of the defense workforce is central to national security. Yet far too often, the realities of the current landscape present a troubling scenario. Industry and government must both begin to acknowledge the effects of technology, decreased interest and stagnating diversity on workers, and develop holistic solutions to these challenges as described in the National Defense Industrial Association's annual report, Vital Signs 2022: The Health and Readiness of the Defense Industrial Base.

Ensuring that the defense sector's workers are prepared to excel in their jobs is a key first step toward reversing these detrimental trends. This can be achieved with the proper support of trusted, quality professional development programs targeted at the bespoke needs of the defense industry.

Many large and even some medium-sized firms see few issues with providing continuing education for their workforce. Some have dedicated entire departments solely to workforce development and training. However, most companies in the defense industrial base are small and some lack either the resources or budget to provide professional development at a level comparable to larger businesses.

This not only impedes employee development at these smaller firms, but also decreases the allure of joining such enterprises.

Expanding employees' skillsets and core competencies will contribute to the strength of the defense...