The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Professional Development Center (PDC) program has been realigned as the NAVFAC New Professionals Program (N2P2).
A 2022 NAVFAC headquarters realignment creating the new planning, design and construction directorate played a significant role in the decision to change the program name.
“The main driver for the name change is to alleviate confusion between the headquarters planning, design and construction directorate and our smaller PDC program,” said Nicole Sasek, entry-level program manager for Naval Facilities Institute (NFI).
The name change is also part of a broader program realignment shifting program support services such as staffing and employment, security, and payroll from NAVFAC Southwest to NAVFAC Headquarters.
Administrative program changes, including a shift to a headquarters-based unit identification code (UIC), will occur at the program management level. For the approximately 110 employees currently enrolled in the program, the transition from the PDC program to N2P2 has been relatively seamless.
Commands where N2P2 employees are assigned, called homeport commands, will continue to provide support for workforce relations, equal employment opportunity, command services (training, travel, records management/forms, command property, safety, counsel), and Command Information Officer support.
The N2P2 is a hiring and training source for professionals such as architects, community planners, contract specialists, engineers, information technology specialists, natural resource specialists, and realty specialists.
The program offers a number of advantages for new or transitioning professionals, including eligibility for rapid promotions, networking opportunities, and mentorship support.
“N2P2 employees are getting on-the-job training, the opportunity to work with and learn from other people and cross training,” said Rosalyn Cloud, community management and training director for NFI. “The goal of the program is to create a pipeline to grow and build the workforce.”
The N2P2 follows a two-to-three year curriculum model that includes formal education and training, rotational assignments, extensive on-the-job training, and challenging work assignments. Employees enter the program as either a GS-5, GS-7, or GS-9 depending on education and position-related experience.
There are exceptions to the typical contracting-related careers served by the program. Katharine Nusbaum is the first archeologist hired through the N2P2. Hired by NAVFAC Atlantic, she entered the program as a GS-9 in April, 2023 and is scheduled to graduate as a GS-12 in 2025.
Nusbaum met her future supervisor at an archeology conference where she was presenting her Master’s degree paper. “I went straight from grad school to the government,” she said. “I’m slowly getting used to the craziness of government work, which is much different than academia.”
Since joining the program, Nusbaum has worked on projects in the NAVFAC Europe Africa Central region. As an archaeologist, her work involves offering support for cultural resources on base, inspection and monitoring of archeological sites for erosion and other issues, educating Navy staff about history and archeology on base, and cultivating relationships with local communities.
She is also learning about community outreach from the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. “There’s a lot of education and outreach,” she said.
Nusbaum offered nothing but praise for the program. “My supervisor has been very intentional in helping me with the transition, and is giving me space to absorb as much knowledge as I can.”
“The people at NAVFAC have been very nice, and very professional,” she added. “It’s been cool. It’s been an adjustment, but an adjustment that I like.”
For recent program graduate Jacqueline Sivongxay, a contract specialist with NAVFAC Pacific, rotational work assignments were the best part of the program, allowing her to experience different branches and meet and network with different people. “Each contracting branch is unique, so it’s helpful to pick up processes that one branch does and be able to apply them in another branch,” she said.
“Being placed in this type of environment strengthens problem-solving skills and helps solidify conceptual understanding of the field,” Sivongxay said.
Sivongxay advised that program participants “get out of it what you put into it.” She recommends taking any required classes as soon as possible to build a knowledge foundation, and getting to know people quickly. “The sooner you develop working relationships,” she said, “the sooner you’ll feel comfortable asking questions.”
To learn more about the NAVFAC New Professionals Program, contact the program management team at NAVFAC_PDC.fct@navy.mil