THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996 TAG: 9609110605
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 83 lines
Thanks to a new program started by the Navy's Bureau of Personnel, thousands of sailors will look for their next job assignment in cyberspace.
The online Job Advertising and Selection System, or JASS, is the latest effort to make the selection process more automated and provide access to available positions throughout the service, says Navy career counselor Chief Thomas Payeur.
The system is limited to personnelmen and aviation ratings. Testing is underway to determine if the program will be effective with officer ranks in the future.
Response from sailors has been favorable, and JASS is not only proving to be a quicker way to assign sailors from one duty station to the next but, Payeur says, it also may be fairer.
In the past, said Payeur, when sailors came within about nine months of their rotation date, they'd call a ``detailer'' in Washington to find out what jobs were open.
A detailer is the person who writes orders for a service member's next duty assignment.
``The first person in line usually got the best choices but it was the luck of the draw when you got through to them on the phone,'' he said.
With the new JASS system, sailors within nine months of their permanent rotation date can preview all the available positions Navywide for their pay grade and rating, then select five choices from that list.
After discussing the job requirements with their work supervisor or career counselor, the selections are entered into the JASS program. Then detailers in Washington match the most qualified candidate with the job description.
The following week, a list of matches is distributed by computer, and sailors can learn immediately whether they have been selected or rejected. If no match is made, the sailor can re-submit five new choices during the next two-week cycle.
``Most rejections are given because the sailor may not be qualified for the position they choose,'' said Payeur. ``Sailors need to discuss the job descriptions and requirements with their senior work supervisors before making their selections. That demands more communication between the senior and junior men in the command.''
Payeur has been excited about the new system since he heard about preliminary tests a year ago; he is one of the first career counselors to implement the program in the Hampton Roads area. Personnelmen were the first to use the system last year, but it was made available to aviation ratings only last month.
He is the command career counselor for Fighter Squadron 101, a large replacement aircrew training squadron at Oceana Naval Air Station. VF-101 has nearly 300 sailors within its nine-month rotation period at all times. Payeur says he sees the new program as a way to keep his sailors competitive for new jobs.
``A lot of people are afraid of change and were against the JASS program at the beginning,'' he said. ``They were concerned about giving up a face-to-face conversation with their detailer.
``But once they saw how it benefits them, most people here thought it was a good idea.''
Sailors can still call their detailers with specific questions but they will be encouraged to apply for their new position using the on-line system.
Lt. Christine Donohue, coordinator of the JASS program at the bureau in Washington, said the program is available to all aviation commands, but some may not be online because they do not have access to the right equipment.
JASS requires a faster personal computer than some commands are using. Once the equipment is in place, the program can be downloaded to be used by the command's career counselor.
Access to the system is strictly limited to ensure that no one can tamper with assignments.
The first two-week cycle that included aviation ratings began August 5th. About 800 applications were processed that week, Donohue said.
``We're planning to expand the program in the future,'' she said. ``We need about three to four months to test the system to make modifications before opening it up to other ratings. But we expect all Navy commands to be up and online by fiscal year '98.
``It's a new system and we're going to have some bumps, but we expect to work them out.'' ILLUSTRATION: MORT FRYMAN PHOTOS/The Virginian-Pilot
Above, Chief Thomas Payeur of VF-101 Oceana Naval Air Station
explains a new computerized system that helps sailors choose their
next duty stations. At right, members of the maintenance department
at the Virginia Beach base listen to his instructions. by CNB