Competency-based training needs for governmental public health workers: Comparison of multi-state data and lessons learned through the public health training centers

In 2010, the Council on Linkages between Academia and Practice released an updated version of the national public health core competencies. The competencies were not only updated, but also expanded into three professional tiers: entry, management and leadership. The purpose was to better define required competence as public health practitioners advance through their career. As a result, several Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Public Health Training Centers have used these revised competencies to assess the skills of state and local public health staff. This has made it possible to begin to compare data across multiple states to determine training need commonalities and differences. The presenter led this initiative and will present data findings as well as share lessons learned from using the COL competencies for state and local level assessment. The presenters hope this will be an opportunity for others to share data and lessons learned as well.