JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFNS) -  The Air Force's Personnel Center is accepting nomination packages from Department of the Air Force civilians for more than 35 Civilian Development opportunities starting Jan. 18.

Civilian airmen and guardians can apply for up to four programs by submitting their application, resume and additional documents, when prompted, through MyVector. Applicants must self-nominate no later than Feb. 25. Local organizations may establish earlier deadlines. Complete applications, including chain-of-command endorsements, must arrive to AFPC through MyVector by March 18.

This year's Civilian Development portfolio reflects several changes in response to the 2021 Civilian Development survey. One change is the implementation of more virtual deliveries to give employees the same high-quality training without being away from family for travel and temporary duty, which was a recurring theme in the survey, said Jana Ramon, Civilian Development office chief.

Some courses still require in-person delivery. Selectees for in-person, long-term training who reside outside the continental United States must Permanent Change of Station to a stateside location prior to starting long-term civilian development training. Selectees will work the PCS assignment in coordination with their respective Career Field Team. While not a new requirement, it is something OCONUS individuals need to consider when applying, Ramon said.

Survey respondents also expressed interest in offering more opportunities for the newer civilian workforce.

"One of the former eligibility requirements to compete for developmental opportunities was having two years of federal civil service," Ramon said. "This prerequisite changed to two years federal service, which allows civilians with prior military or federal service (to include Nonappropriated Fund employment) to count their prior time toward the requirement and compete sooner."

Ramon added that Development Team chairs can waive the two-year federal service requirement for courses less than five days and there is no service requirement for the Organizational Leadership Course.

The Civilian Development portfolio includes three categories of opportunities: Professional Military Education (basic, intermediate and senior developmental levels), Academic/Fellowships, and Leadership Seminars/Short Courses.

"All courses listed in the CD portfolio are mapped to the department's institutional competencies, which are key to ensuring airmen and guardians can operate successfully in a constantly changing environment," said Becky Venters, AFPC Civilian Development and Functional Training chief. "These competencies span all occupations, functions, and organizational levels and support the development of Department of the Air Force leaders."

One of the long-term opportunities that emphasizes leadership competency development for civilians in the grades of 13 through 15 is the Civilian Strategic Leader Program. The CSLP is the DAF's civilian enterprise-level developmental assignment program designed to provide selected GS-13s through GS-15s and equivalent with leadership opportunities that complement their functional expertise.

"This development program produces a highly-qualified leadership pipeline to meet future needs and mission requirements," said Craig Pearson, AFPC CSLP program manager. "CSLP enhances the knowledge, skills, and abilities of participants by providing 36-month experiential assignments with enterprise and/or Department of Defense-wide impact."

The CSLP assignments exist in four categories: Joint/COCOM, Headquarters Air Force, MAJCOM, and installation level. Employees in the grade of GS-13 and equivalent interested in CSLP must apply through MyVector and via USAJobs for the associated open vacancy announcement. Those in permanent GS-14/15 positions and equivalent need only apply in MyVector.

All applicants who meet basic eligibility may apply for civilian development programs. Some career fields also require their applicants to have a Development Plan on file to apply for programs. Interested employees should contact their career field team for specific guidance. CFT points of contact are available on myPers by selecting the appropriate career field here.

To learn more about these opportunities, please visit the Civilian Force Development homepage on myPers here.