The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has passed legislation that would require GSA to identify competencies that federal buildings personnel should possess and require that they demonstrate them.
"We can’t expect our federal buildings to run at peak efficiency if we don’t provide our personnel with the training required to make that happen," said one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.
The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 now goes to the full Senate. It would also require GSA to work with private industry and institutions of higher learning to create comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure that federal employees have the training to maintain federal buildings in a manner consistent with industry best practices.
GAO has identified a lack of proper expertise and training as a major hurdle in reaching energy reduction goals, and the bill’s sponsors argue legislation is needed to safeguard the $5.5 billion energy efficiency investment in federal infrastructure under the Recovery Act.
"Clearly, we need the best trained, most qualified workforce operating this vast portfolio of federal assets, which totals more than 500,000 buildings, structures and associated infrastructure," said co-sponsor and ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Susan Collins, R-Maine.
"Training will help guarantee that taxpayer dollars are spent as efficiently and effectively as possible in operating these facilities," she added.
