Workforce Development
NMDOH is committed to assuring a competent workforce and meeting CDC's expectations, which is why there is a collaborative effort throughout the department to tackle issues such as a high rate of retirements, the pandemic's forced shifting of employee responsibilities, the large purview and scope of the department and the ensuing complexities of tailoring onboarding and training processes to meet the needs of a diverse workforce. To make broad ranging workforce development improvements, the Office of Policy & Accountability is working to coalesce, galvanize and advance workforce development issues so NMDOH can effectively accomplish the vision of creating a healthier New Mexico.
NMDOH defines workforce development as an overarching umbrella for many activities that help create, sustain, and retain a viable and competent workforce. Examples include:
- Employee onboarding/offboarding
- Employee surveys
- Hiring and recruitment practices
- Labor trends and retention
- Job descriptions and employee evaluations
- Workforce policies & procedures
While training and professional development is an incredibly important subset of workforce development activities, these endeavors are specifically geared toward empowering employees to be more productive and capable in the workplace, such as:
- Competency-based assessments
- In-house blended learning modules
- Certification programs
- Continuing education credits
- Conferences/workshops
Within OPA is the Learning Management Center, their purpose is to enhance individual skills and knowledge by offering training and development opportunities in alignment with the Department's set of core competencies and Mission, Vision & Values.
CDC's Essential Service #8
Specifies health agencies should "build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce." According to the CDC, that means providing competency-based training, building a workforce pipeline, and fostering leadership skills at all levels.
Accreditation Standards for Workforce Development
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards have placed added emphasis on workforce development. Domain 8 requires agencies to maintain a competent public health workforce. This includes:
- Ensuring the development of a sufficient number of qualified public health workers; and
- Assessing staff competencies and providing training / professional development.
Domain 8 also outlines the expectation that public health agencies have documented partnerships or collaboration with schools of public health and other related academic programs to develop qualified public health workers and promote public health as a career choice.
Acknowledging the need to maintain a qualified workforce in the future and its long-term importance to workforce development, NMDOH is working on providing internship opportunities for students to learn about public health through experiential learning. NMDOH has sponsored student interns from colleges and universities across New Mexico, other states, and other nations.
For more information, read NMDOH's Workforce Development Plan.
Careers
If you are interested in a career in public health, please visit visit The State Personnel Office for opportunities at NMDOH. NMDOH offers meaningful work with great Benefits. Add candidate tips.