AMA Survey Participants Say Telework Enhancement Act Has Not Changed Training Priorities for Their Government Agencies

ARLINGTON, VA, August 19, 2011 (Press-News.org) Government professionals responding to a recent informal survey from American Management Association (AMA) said that the Telework Enhancement Act has not impacted their training priorities (88.7%): leadership development is still the top priority for both FY11 and FY12. A solid majority, 86.8%, said they have not built in increased training to accommodate the Telework Enhancement Act for their FY12 budget.

While only 4.4% of respondents said their training and development budget has increased because of the Telework Enhancement Act, 49.1% said the budget has stayed the same, and 5.3% said the budget has decreased. Some organizations noted in comments that they might put in for a supplemental request for increased budget for FY12.

Only 16.7% of respondents said they're adding specific classes that address telework needs. Several commented that they're not rolling out specific telework training programs, and that there is no change in training around telework planned at this time.

"Increasing telework for government personnel is an interesting topic," said Sam Davis, Vice President, AMA Enterprise Government Solutions. "It requires upfront expenditures to do it right - training the managers, training the employees who'll be teleworking, not to mention the logistics and equipment considerations. But the long-term savings could be significant - including a motivated and more loyal workforce."

About AMA Enterprise
With more than 85 years of experience and headquartered in New York, American Management Association (www.amanet.org) is a global leader of comprehensive talent development. AMA Enterprise, a specialized division of AMA dedicated to building corporate and government solutions, transforms enterprise-wide talent to fuel a culture of innovation, high performance and optimal business results. For more information on AMA Enterprise Government Solutions please visit http://www.amaenterprise.org/gov.