By Rear Adm. John Nowell
Director of Military Personnel, Plans and Policies

Rating Modernization is the future of the growing workforce in the Navy. In August, we released NAVADMIN 196/18 that provided an update on those four lines of effort and this is the third of a total of five blog posts that will talk about the updates to Rating Modernization. We also have a series of six Rating Modernization podcasts that mirror the blogs we will be sharing with you.

Driven by the urgent requirement to update and modernize personnel systems, we explored procedures to expand career fields in order to transform enlisted force community and career management in the future.

The new marketplace will better balance needs of the Navy with the desires of the Sailor. Several pilot efforts focused on comparing rating skill sets, training requirements and billet availability were conducted in 2017. These pilots compared yeoman/personnel specialist and damage controlman/hull maintenance technician to determine viability and the appropriate inputs and possible components for building a future marketplace where some rating billets may be interchangeable.

A new “Navy Detailing Marketplace” is currently under development, through which the foundational elements of an automated personnel management system will tie Sailor enlistment directly to negotiations for a billet, which will then allow Sailors to reenlist or extend for that billet assignment. The marketplace will be a single system that uses the new NEC construct to better represent your qualifications, experience, and performance in the form of a resume.

The “Sailor Resume” function will be available in the future under “My Record” on MyNavy Portal (MNP). Starting in Fiscal Year 2019, you will be able to view the advertised billets for which you are qualified. A resume will be generated that includes: ASVAB scores, security clearance status, worldwide deployability, qualifications, evaluations, NECs earned, education degrees and training certifications. Ultimately, the resume function will provide the ability to better match Sailors to billets.

One idea being explored in the marketplace is the ability to compare billets side-by-side, which will provide timely information to Sailors while they are considering their options for billets.

Representatives from Navy Personnel Command, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Bureau of Naval Personnel are working collaboratively to conduct a Marketplace Detailing “war game” for the rating of aerographers mate. This war game will engage more than 70 Sailors in a real world setting. The simulated exercise will use actual billets and Sailors to study the marketplace concepts and make improvements as necessary. The intended outcome is a detailing process which is easier to understand, transparent and gives Sailors more control in the assignment decision process by displaying more billet options and providing incentives for selecting high-priority billets, which meet the operational priority of the fleet.

Examples of incentives under consideration include multiple tour details, incentive pay, advance-to-vacancy billets and educational opportunities. One example of multiple tours bundled into a single detailing transaction could be a guaranteed sea duty assignment in the same geographic area following a shore duty assignment, specifically in fleet concentration areas such as Lemoore and other similar type locations. Integrating these detailing incentives through the marketplace platform will provide opportunities for geo-stability to Sailors and their family while meeting the priorities of the fleet.

Additionally, the functional marketplace will be used by Sailors to transition between the active and reserve components and to apply for rating conversions. Sailors with training and special skills will have a more agile conversion process that leverages the Sailor resume and Marketplace Detailing data to inform them of where their skills best fit in the Navy. The same tools will enable detailers to better harness those unique skill sets possessed by certain Sailors to fill critical jobs.

Don’t forget to check out our podcasts! We have a series of six Rating Modernization podcasts that accompany this blog series.

Editor’s note: Sailor 2025 is the Navy’s program to more effectively recruit, develop, manage, reward and retain the force of tomorrow. It consists of approximately 45 living, breathing initiatives and is built on a framework of three pillars – a modern personnel system, a career learning continuum and career readiness.

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2019/02/20/rating-modernization-marketplace-force-management/ U.S. Navy