Building the skills, competencies, and knowledge of our Federal HR workforce has been a priority for the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) and the broader HR community for several years. In 2009, the CHCO Council HR workforce subcommittee worked with OPM to develop an HR assessment tool. In early 2010, building on this accomplishment and collaboration, the CHCOs expressed an interest to continue efforts to professionalize the HR community, and concluded that the creation of an HR University was the next critical step in advancing those efforts. In May, 2010, with unanimous support from the Council, a working group was convened to move forward with the HRU project, a Governmentwide resource for HR training and development. The HR University is not only intended to address competency and skill gaps within the HR community, it is an effort to achieve Governmentwide savings through shared resources and economies of scale – identifying the best HR training across Government, and establishing a means of sharing with all agencies.

The HR University is the Federal Government's single "one stop" training resource center for the HR professional throughout the Federal Government. Although there are many agency-specific training programs dedicated to training the HR professional, those training programs and their curriculum vary. Though these training programs may be very effective, there is still a need to develop HR courses and curriculum that are applicable across the Federal Government. To help bridge the gap of those course offerings and to improve the economies of scale, the HR University offers courses that have been evaluated and approved by the Office of Personnel Management as courses designed to meet established competencies for the HR Profession.

The HR University was created as a result of many surveys, interviews, and focus groups conducted with Federal HR professionals. These assessments revealed an urgency to develop a Federal-wide training center to provide Human Resource training across the Federal HR workforce. In the 21st Century, the roles of a typical Federal HR professional have drastically changed from being "transaction operational" base to evolving into Strategic Business Partners. While the foundation for understanding Federal HR principles are still critical for the HR professional, new skills are also required to close the gap between technical versus strategic HR skills. The curriculum outlined in this website for the HR professionals correlates to established HR Competencies and Skill Requirements. Therefore, this HR University is designed to guide, train, and mentor Federal HR professionals as they maneuver through their career.

The HR University serves as a useful guide or "path" for all HR professionals as it is designed to help you navigate through your career. Specifically, the HR University provides you with a Federal HR Career Path that is designed to assist you in planning your HR career based on your current and/or future level in the HR field. The Federal HR Career Path identifies the core competencies needed for various levels within the HR profession, identifies required training and developmental activities to fill skill gaps, and provides you with key "success factors" for the highly trained and skilled HR professional.

In the HR University, you will find developmental activities linked to each HR Technical area, as well as a portfolio of training courses that are required for each level of the HR professional. The courses that are available through the HR University have been evaluated and approved by the Office of Personnel Management as meeting the foundational requirements and objectives of the course. For your convenience, you can view the requirements of each course and register to take the training through the HR University. In addition, if you elect to LOG IN to the system, the HR University will track your progress to ensure that you are on target with meeting your training needs.

Throughout the Federal Government, there are numerous training programs and vehicles for entering into the HR Profession. In the past, there was no established or Federally approved curriculum and "path" that employees could use as guidance to identify skill gaps and developmental needs for all levels of HR. The HR University can serve as a virtual Mentor for those entering the HR profession and also for seasoned HR professionals. As you navigate throughout the HR University, you can assess your current skills, determine an appropriate HR career path based on your current proficiency level, and identify training and learning activities to meet your developmental needs.