Photo By Daniel DeAngelis | Chairs and Vice Chairs of the various Norfolk Naval Shipyard Employee Resource Groups...... read more read more
Employee Readiness Groups (ERGs) play many roles for Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and its workforce. One of their roles is to have events throughout the year to observe and recognize history and awareness months.
“ERGs help bring ethnical awareness to the workforce to enhance diversity,” said Fleet Forces Command Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Manager Shirley McCollough. “ERG members share idiosyncrasies that employees can understand each other better, which will help make a positive working environment.”
Events like the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance hosted by the African American ERG and Fall-In for Colors on Memorial Day and Veterans Day hosted by the Veterans ERG, are examples of honoring the past. ERGs also invest time and effort in developing for the future.
One way ERGs help to develop the future is by being a compass for the career path of shipyard workers.
“The Federal Women’s Program (FWP) is constantly coming up with ways to impact the recruitment, advancement and retention of women,” said FWP’s Career Development Chair Tiffany Greene. “Events like Speed Mentoring, Leadership360 and the interviewing workshops are proving to be catalysts for progress.”
ERGs are a resource where employees can bring their concerns and issues.
“If an employee has a problem and they’re not sure how to handle it, they can come to the ERGs and they will point them in the right direction,” said NNSY’s Outreach and Special Emphasis Program Manager Valerie Fulwood. “ERG members are not subject matter experts, but more of a resource to help prepare the worker for the next step in finding a solution.”
As with all things, ERGs have their own challenges.
“Participation can be much better,” said Fleet Forces Special Emphasis Program Manager Raquel Victorian. “One way to help improve participation would be for leadership to help back the ERGs by allotting their employees time to participate or attend ERGs programs, as well as the meetings.”
“As Operations Officer, I don’t typically engage with the ERGs, but I know they do great things to support our employees,” said NNSY’s Operations Officer Capt. Jip Mosman. “ERGs provide valuable support to our people who are the heart of our mission.”
ERGs not only help individual employees, but they also help each other.
“We are one team with the same mindset,” said NNSY’s Native American Indian Heritage ERG Chairperson Camille Brownell-Sorenson. “We all want to continue to make America’s Shipyard a positive environment.”
Members from other ERGs attend each other’s programs to show their support. The ERGs themselves may help co-sponsor an event if another ERG doesn’t have the manpower to do it alone.
“Since the Hispanic Heritage ERG and the Disability Awareness Committee ERG have a small membership and both observances are held in the month of October, we are looking into joining forces to co-host an event,” said Disability Awareness Committee ERG Chairperson Daniel Freeh.
For more information on ERGs, please contact Valerie Fulwood at 757-396-3814 or valerie.fulwood@navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2020 09:22 |
| Story ID: | 367095 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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