DPW FY 2017 Annual Report

Page 29
New Training Opportunities
Training employees is a strategy that has improved
morale, career satisfaction, motivation, productivity and
responsiveness. The Mayor’s vision of establishing clear
pathways to the middle class for our residents and, by
extension, our employees inspired this strategy.
This past year, DPW expanded the snow program training
curriculum for employees to ensure everyone understands
expectations and their assigned role within the updated
Winter Maintenance Plan.
DPW also partnered with DC Public Libraries to provide an
adult learning curriculum for employees to complete their
GED or obtain other certifications to move up the career
ladder at DPW or other agencies.
And the 1st ever ...
On May 21, several hundred DPW employees and their
family members attended DPW’s first Family Fun Day.
The event included food, live music and a host of activities
including karaoke, sack races, volleyball and cards.
The event was made possible through the DPW Labor/
Management Partnership:
AFGE Local 1975, representing PEMA employees,
AFGE Local 631, representing Fleet employees, and
AFSCME Local 2091, representing SWMA employees.
The agency was very supportive of employees who chose
to earn a college degree. In February 2017, we introduced
employees to the College for America online program
that confers associate and bachelor’s degrees through
Southern New Hampshire University.
More than 130 employees attended the “open-house
session,” and many have begun their classes. To ensure
further success, the training staff has offered their services
after normal working hours, and at no cost to DPW, to
create that buddy-system and assist employees where
necessary.
DPW Employee Honored
by President Obama
Parking Enforcement Officer
Barbara Lucas was honored
by President Barack Obama
with a Lifetime Achievement
Award for her work with EGOS
(Education, Goals, Opportunities,
Sports), a nonprofit that mentors
youth through sports. “I used sports
as a tool to try to help youth and
to educate them to do better,” said
Lucas, who played basketball on
the Cheyney University team that
made it to the Women’s National
Collegiate Athletic Association Final
Four.