FEW’s 55th National Training Program Draws 800+ in the Windy City

Federally Employed Women (FEW) held its 55^th National Training Program (NTP) in the Windy City this summer, drawing more than 800 government employees along with sponsors, partners, federal agency representatives and exhibitors—all of whom received premiere training on leadership, culture, professional development, office technology and administration.

The FEW NTP is designed for all occupations at various levels of service. Each NTP training session is mapped to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Senior Executive Service’s executive core qualifications (leading change, leading people, results driven, business acumen and building coalitions). These core qualifications are also paired with underlying fundamental core competencies (oral and written communication, integrity, interpersonal skills, continual learning and public service motivation). The 2024 NTP theme, “Unleash Your Full Potential: Learn, Recall, Apply, Reinforce” was splashed in shades of purple and green throughout the conference venue.

FEW is a national grassroots organization working for the advancement of women in government. Having recently held elections for the 2024-2026 FEW Board of Directors, new officers were installed during a ceremony immediately following a plated luncheon spotlighting government compliance.

National civil rights leader and director from the Chicago District’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Amrith Kaur Aakre, provided keynote remarks for the luncheon on “Removing Barriers to Unleash Your Full Potential.” FEW National President Pamela H. Richards was sworn in for a second term, along with new and returning members of the FEW National Board.

Federal agency forums held onsite at the NTP allowed agency heads an opportunity to build camaraderie and provide their teams with mission-critical updates. The forums gave participating employees firsthand information about personnel changes, strategic plans related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), EEO programs and other hot topics, such as budget, training and travel guidelines specific to their organization. 

FEW officials packed a week-long itinerary of Health and Wellness Fair activities, including complimentary acupuncture, fitness classes, safety presentations, screenings, demonstrations and wellness workshops. The Fair took place on the lower level of the hotel; across the way, the NTP Exhibit Hall featured recruitment discussions, networking, vendor and sponsor exhibits as well as livestream podcast interviews.

FEW thanks its 2024 NTP sponsors: AETNA, Anthology, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fed Choice, GEHA, United Benefits, United Health Care and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

FEW NTP highlights included:

• “A Taste of Chicago” Welcome Reception with Chicago steppers and line-dancing
• National President’s Reception
• Federal government agency forums
• Volunteer “Thank You” Reception
• Sponsors Appreciation Reception
• Military, FEW Awards & Scholarship Reception
• FEW Mentoring Program Graduation
• EEO Compliance Luncheon with Chicago District of the U.S. EEOC
• Health & Wellness Fair with sponsors and partners
• Senior Executive Service (SES) development workshops
• Military Veterans Symposium
• Financial literacy training
• NTP Exhibit Hall with sponsors, vendors, recruiters, fireside chats and livestream podcasting 
• “Exchange Point” networking opportunities with industry professionals
• Installation of the 2024-2026 National Board of Directors

To learn more about FEW, visit few.org.

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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.