Washington, DC - The Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council received the Training Officers Consortium Distinguished Service Award for Human Capital Management in recognition of the Council's work on HR University (HRU). The award was presented for HRU's success in supporting and advancing the federal government's human capital plan and strategic mission, goals, and objectives.

"I am very proud of the innovative work the CHCO Council is doing with HR University under Kathryn Medina's leadership," said OPM Director John Berry. "HRU saves money and provides a more engaged and educated workforce to serve the American people."

The resources that HRU offers have been well received by the federal HR workforce. Centralized courses allow for a more streamlined and cost-effective delivery of OPM-approved courses and training. HRU has also helped to identify skill and competency gaps and provide training and resources to address those gaps.

HRU is a cost-saving tool that, to date has saved more than 16 million dollars across the government. It has also registered more than 13,000 users, posted over 85 courses, and has over 7,000 course completions by registrants from over 28 government agencies. Additionally, it is clear that users are enjoying the experience as the overall satisfaction rating for courses is a 4.25 on a 5 point rating scale. The site is now a key tool across the federal government for workforce development.

The HRU focuses on three major training needs for HR professionals including foundational knowledge of federal human resource laws and regulations, technical and analytical skills, and strategic thinking and partnering skills. The platform of the HRU is a website featuring:

· A course catalog that incorporates OPM approved human resource related courses from various Federal agencies and vendors;

· A "one stop" place to access learning, through an OPM central repository, using multiple delivery methods with a blended learning approach;

· A common "core" curriculum and criteria that emphasize solid technical knowledge and expertise; and

· A career guide for current and future HR professionals that focuses on building competencies, skills, and Individual Development Plans (IDP).

HRU courses are a combination of classroom, online and web-based offerings offered (for a cost) across the government. Users will have the capability of registering and tracking all courses offered through the HRU. The courses offered at HRU come from OPM, other participating Federal agencies and private training vendors.