The Staff Development and Training Unit is committed to providing all agency employees with opportunities for career development and employs a range of strategies toward this end. In-service training consists of an integrated sequence of in-house workshops, seminars, conferences and in-house graduate level academic courses covering core knowledge and skill areas. Most in-service training is centrally planned and delivered and presented by in-house trainers, staff with specific subject-matter expertise, external consultants and/or others.

Funds permitting, employees may pursue a variety of out-service training options. These include formal academic coursework and short-term workshops, or participation in programs offered by the Region I Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program (RCEP), Rehabilitation Management Programs at the University of Oklahoma, the Social Security Administration and a vast array of programs offered through the Commonwealth's Human Resource Division, among others.

Upon request, Training Unit staff may also offer career development counseling. Career consultation, for example, provides employees with information about agency career opportunities, career alternatives and career progression, as well as advice about job enrichment and enhancement techniques as a supplement and/or substitute to promotional advancement. The Training Unit maintains a repository of instruction materials and learning tools and routinely disseminates information to assist employees in performing their jobs. Training Unit staff also provide internal consultation, guidance and problem-solving assistance to supervisory and management level employees regarding specific agency operations. Finally, the Training Unit assists with coordinating the Commission's mentoring program and oversees the practicum program for students in vocational rehabilitation counseling and related fields.

This information is provided by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.