WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today introduced a new career progression plan for its frontline employees to foster career growth and training for improved operational performance. The new plan provides operational employees a more transparent path for career growth and allows them to better understand how they fit within the organization.
“We are committed to investing in our transportation security officers by giving them the tools they need to grow in their TSA careers,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Our frontline employees carry out a very critical security mission, and it is important to foster an environment of continual learning and growth to improve performance, and encourage critical thinking and leadership skills. The traveling public depends on their success.”
Under the new career progression plan, a more structured path establishes a meaningful and motivating progression for frontline employees. The plan is intended to encourage performance and emphasize the training and skills frontline employees will need to succeed in their TSA careers, as well as the support the agency will provide as part of its commitment to each employee’s success.
These changes are markers of TSA’s commitment to employees and will:
- establish a clear path for frontline employees to know where they stand in their career within the organization and what they must do to be promoted;
- foster an environment of continual learning and growth that instills shared organizational values and advanced technical, critical-thinking, and leadership skills; and
- establish effective communication strategies and promote responsiveness and collaboration.
As a part of this broader career progression plan, TSA has also taken steps to strengthen the way it measures operational effectiveness, by inserting customized coaching and observation into the Annual Proficiency Review process. The process continues to evaluate proficiency by looking at a collection of tests and data of how officers perform their duties.
“An effective workforce must be properly trained, coached and evaluated, these are key ingredients in preserving a motivated skilled workforce dedicated to executing our mission of protecting the traveling public,” said Pekoske.