Career Planning

The average person will have five careers in their life. You can have them all without leaving VA. MyCareer@VA, a powerful career development resource, gives you the knowledge you need to grow your career with the agency. Uncover your career possibilities today with our one-of-a-kind development tools:

• Discover your options by using the Career Mapping Tool to identify potential next steps in your career based on your knowledge and skills.
• See where you fit with the Career Fit Tool, which matches your interests and work preferences to a wide range of jobs.
• Explore the possibilities with the VA Career Guides to learn more about the jobs that interest you at VA.

These valuable resources will uncover a wealth of opportunities at VA. So what are you waiting for?

All VA employees are required to take the following courses. 

VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness

This course fulfills the mandatory annual awareness training required by law for all VA employees. It contains annual security information and general privacy training. Certificates of completion apply to the Information Security and Privacy Awareness requirements and the Rules of Behavior. 

Prevention of Workplace Harassment

The Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation (NO FEAR) Act of 2002 requires that all Federal employees receive training on their rights and responsibilities in the areas of equal employment opportunity, non-discrimination and whistleblower protections. In our effort to cultivate a fair, diverse, harassment-free work environment, we have combined previously separate mandatory training courses into one single course.

Annual Government Ethics Training

Completion of this course satisfies the annual government ethics training requirement for: (1) All VA employees, as mandated by the VA Chief of Staff on February 15, 2013; (2) Confidential Financial Disclosure (OGE-450) filers, as required by the Executive Branch Standards of Conduct; (3) New employees, as required by the Executive Branch Standards of Conduct. It also satisfies the ethics training requirement for employees involved in the planning and implementation of conferences as mandated by the VA Chief of Staff on September 26, 2012.

Other Mandatory Training

Individual administrations also have their own mandatory training. To find out what other courses you are required to take, contact your local TMS administrator.

No TMS Access?  

For contractors with no TMS access, your VA point of contact can print a PDF version of required courses. PDFs are located under "Related Documents" on TMS. 

Important Update to Skillsoft Courses: 

On May 20, 2013, an improvement to all web-based Skillsoft courses in the TMS was deployed.  A short post-course evaluation will now be required for each Skillsoft course in order to receive your certificate of completion. These evaluations will gather user feedback to shape future training. 

If you did not complete the evaluation immediately following completion of the content, it will be available through your TMS To-Do list to complete later. You can find these evaluations either by changing your To-Do List view to “Show: Surveys” or by looking for the evaluation by title.  Once you complete the short survey, the TMS will be updated with your certificate of completion.

 You will need to restart any Skillsoft course that was not completed before May 20.

• SkillSoft Online Certification Matrix
  Identifies SkillSoft online certification exams available on VA TMS
• SkillSoft Business Skills Course Catalog
  Links to the SkillSoft Business Skills online courses available on VA TMS
• SkillSoft Compliance Course Catalog
  Links to the SkillSoft Compliance - Legal and Environmental, Safety & Health, and Transportation online courses available on VA TMS
• SkillSoft Desktop Skills Course Catalog
  Links to the SkillSoft Desktop Skills online courses available on VA TMS
• SkillSoft IT Skills Course Catalog
  Links to the SkillSoft IT Skills online courses available on VA TMS
•  SkillSoft New Courses Added List
  List of all courses that were added in the previous month to all four of the SkillSoft Catalogs above.
• SkillSoft Removed Courses List
  List of courses being removed and replacement courses.
• SkillSoft Removed Courses Guidance for TMS Administrators
  Guidance for TMS Administrators using SkillSoft courses in assignment profiles.

TMS: learning just got faster, easier and friendlier at VA.

• Sign up for courses
• Plan your career development
• Track your goals, objectives & Individual Development Plans
• Quickly access catalog search and calendar

All available courses for VA employees to learn practical and functional skills. Updated quarterly, this training focuses on:

• Career and Technical Training (for all employees)
• Manager & Supervisor Training
• Transformational Leadership Training

Training at VA promotes the following all-employee competencies. Click each competency below to view courses and proficiency levels for each:

• Demonstrates effective written communication skills
• Demonstrates effective oral communication skills
• Demonstrates empathy
• Fosters diversity and inclusion
• Contributes to high-performing teams
• Demonstrates good judgment
• Demonstrates creative problem solving skills
• Advocates for Veterans
• Meets customers' needs
• Exhibits self-awareness and commitment to self-development
• Demonstrates resilience, agility, and a sense of urgency

To search for more courses, log onto the TMS at www.tms.va.gov.

Training at VA promotes the following leadership competencies. Click each competency below to view courses and proficiency levels for each:

• Promotes leadership at all levels
• Inspires continual learning and development
• Builds high-performing, diverse teams
• Drives integration
• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates political savvy
• Effectively manages conflict
• Champions innovation
• Communicates vision and drives change
• Fosters reasonable risk taking and drives execution
• Fosters accountability to Veterans
• Ensures strategic alignment
• Enhances outcomes for Veterans
• Applies forward-looking human capital management principles
• Applies sound financial and material resource management principles
• Employs technology effectively

To search for more courses, log onto the TMS at www.tms.va.gov.

VESO oversees all VA veteran employment initiatives such as VA for Vets. VA for Vets offers career support for VA staff, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members.

This suite of e-Learning modules aims to increase the awareness and understanding of the Veterans we serve so that VA staff may serve Veterans better.

Military Cultural Awareness

This course provides a common foundation for all VA employees. It offers an overview of common military culture and courtesies, roles and ranks within the military, differences between the branches of the armed services, some of the conflicts in which Veterans have served, and why this information is important in helping VA employees better serve the needs of Veterans and their families.

Launch Course on TMS

Connecting with Veterans 

This course introduces VA employees to recommended best practices and applicable information for interacting with Veterans. The course consists of lessons that provide Veterans’ stories and the reasons why establishing this connection is so important.

Through these stories and interactive instruction, VA employees will learn about VA’s administrations, customer best practices, the historical context, and medical conditions for Veterans who have served in military engagements and wars from WWII to the present day.

Launch Course on TMS

Serving Women Veterans

Women Veterans are one of the fastest-growing groups of Veterans. In the Serving Women Veterans course, hear the stories of women Veterans, who served in conflicts from WWII to modern day, and learn how their experiences impact what they need from VA.

After completing Serving Women Veterans, you will be able to direct women Veterans to available VA benefits and services.

Launch Course on TMS