Posted on September 20, 2022 by kingcountyemployees

Professional Development Scholarship Program: Individual Development Plan

By Travis Gershaneck, Veteran Fellow, Department of Human Resources

The first application period for the Coalition Labor Agreement Professional Development Scholarship Program is quickly approaching. The first period opens on Jan. 9, 2023, but it is recommended to have information for your application materials prepared well ahead of time.

The completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) is not required to apply for this scholarship, but it is strongly recommended. The IDP is a roadmap that you create to identify your career goals, how to achieve them and how you will apply your training towards your career goals in a way that aligns with King County’s commitment to equity and social justice, any of King County’s True North values and to better serve your customer. It is this information that will be used to evaluate your scholarship application.

Not only will the IDP prepare you to apply for a scholarship, but it is a powerful tool to help keep you on track to reach your career goals. The IDP includes an option to tie in your supervisor, manager, and others to offer ideas, provide support to you in your development activities, and open networking and training opportunities to assist you.

Your IDP should be treated as a “living document” that adapts and evolves with you on your professional journey. Consider involving others as you develop your IDP. Career Support Services offers individual career coaching sessions to assist you, and has provided the following IDP samples to guide your plan creation:

As part of the King County Investing in YOU and True North and Values initiatives, the Professional Development Scholarship is designed to provide eligible employees represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions up to $3,000 in financial resources to continue pursuing professional goals.

Important 2023 dates: