Tag Archive for: Online Training

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Top 5 December 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past December? Check out the December top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Jan. 9, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF).

1. Handling Difficult Customers for Local Government (tied for first)

When residents have problems with municipal services, they call city hall. More often than not, these calls are negative in nature rather than positive, and handling these customers is a skill in and of itself. Local governments cannot function effectively if the relationship between the government and its residents is fraught with tension. By taking this course, you will learn the necessary skills for representing your municipality and strengthening its relationship with citizens.

1. Understanding Behavior, Burnout, and Depression (tied for first)

In our fast-paced world, many people are tired, overworked, and stressed. Between the constant flow of e-mails, being tethered to a smartphone, and other social, family, and work responsibilities, finding your ‘normal’ can be challenging. Not surprisingly, some people seem to have more issues with stress than others. We know that some stress is healthy, but constant levels of stress can become problematic to the point of burnout and depression. To truly understand the human condition, we need to define what is normal vs. abnormal behavior. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress, burnout, and depression will help you to pinpoint warning signs in yourself and others.

2. Workplace Bullying

When we think of bullying, we immediately associate it with the school yard, certainly not something we face as an adult. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace occurs more often than you think. In fact, there are various forms of bullying, from overt forms to those which are quite passive. Workplace bullying may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee as well as your employer. A thorough understanding of workplace bullying will help promote awareness and ultimately prevention.

3. Ethical Behavior for Local Government

In this course, we will define ethical behavior, provide examples of work situations where a thorough understanding of workplace ethics may be applied, and ways in which you can determine if your decisions and behavior are meeting the appropriate standards.

4. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques (tied for fourth)

This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

4. Developing Effective Communication Skills (tied for fourth)

Communicating with coworkers, clients, and management is a core activity for most positions. If you communicate effectively, you are more likely to achieve success in your career and personal life. Being a good listener and knowing how to write effective documents will also ensure your success as a communicator. This course will provide you with tools and suggestions on how to accomplish this goal.

4. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (tied for fourth)

In previous eras, people often became caught in an “either/or” situation because employers were not always cooperative when individuals needed time for personal matters. Employees ran the risk of losing their jobs and benefits if they made the choice of putting their family first. Fortunately, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take the time they need to handle life events. We will go over the FMLA in detail to help you understand the basic provisions and how the FMLA can benefit you.

5. Dealing with Angry Employees (tied for fifth)

In this course, the learner will gain understanding regarding the importance of communication in dealing with employee anger, acquire knowledge regarding productive methods for dealing with employee anger, and finally learn to recognize the behavioral indicators preceding episodes of anger.

5. Defensive Driving Basics (tied for fifth)

This is a general education course, and the Academy is not responsible for continuing education credits that are rejected in any way. Given the variation in the approval and acceptance of continuing education credits state to state, it is advised that you confirm recertification and training requirements, including accepted courses, with your administrator and check the accreditation page on our site that corresponds with your state.

5. Discipline and Termination (tied for fifth)

In every organization, employees are let go for various reasons. The decision to discipline or even terminate an employee is not one that should be taken lightly, and there is a right and wrong way to approach the situation. In this course, learners will explore ways to appropriately address issues before termination is necessary, be able to terminate employees confidently if discipline fails, and for employees to understand the need for a disciplinary process and the rules and expectations that inform them.

5. Emotional Intelligence for Leaders (tied for fifth)

There are many traits and characteristics of a good leader, but recent research has discovered the impact emotional intelligence plays in a leaders success. This course will instruct and provide leaders with techniques to grow and develop in their emotional intelligence and become better leaders.

5. Performance Management (tied for fifth)

Managing employee performance through standards, observation and feedback may sound easy, but doing it well is another story. Many managers and supervisors see the appraisal process as a single day event on the employee’s anniversary date, which is not the case. The performance appraisal process is an ongoing activity that takes effort throughout the year, not just at the time of the appraisal.

5. Sexual Harassment for Managers (tied for fifth)

Sexual harassment in the workplace can happen to anyone, male or female, regardless of sexual orientation. Recognizing what sexual harassment is a leader, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to prevent sexual harassment. There are a number of preventive measures that can be employed as well as recommendations of what to do if you or one of your employees have been or are the victim of sexual harassment.

Register Today!

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Four employees closely gather around a desk. They are smiling and appear engaged. One is sitting in an office chair adjacent to a computer monitor, one is sitting on the corner of the desk, and the remaining two are standing.

Top 5 November 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past November? Check out the November top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Dec. 5, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

Enhancing Work Relationships

The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. This means that the relationships we build with our co-workers play a significant role in our lives. In this course, learners will explore a variety of tips and techniques for engendering and enriching relationships at work such as building trust and respect, focusing on listening, assertiveness, and conflict resolution.

Airborne and Bloodborne Pathogens

Humans are walking sources of air and fluid, and the air and fluid of others are potential sources of infections for first responders. This 1-hour course will review the airborne and bloodborne pathogens first responders commonly encounter in serving their communities, as well as the equipment and preventative measures that protect first responders from infectious pathogens.

Anti-Bias Training for Law Enforcement

The face of America continues to evolve, and our nation is more diverse than ever before. People in cities, suburbs, and towns served by law enforcement are a rich tapestry of races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. This diverse group of individuals deserves to be treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. Unfortunately, tragedies can result when there is an adversarial relationship or misunderstanding between law enforcement and the community. Recognizing the diversity and types of bias when serving the community will reduce misunderstandings, confusion, and stereotypes while promoting knowledge and awareness for the officer. In this one-hour course, we will explore many effective strategies to help you to connect with the community along with recommendations you can use immediately.

Defensive Driving Basics

This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.

Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques

This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Register Today!

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

 

A woman standing alone wears a white shirt is in the right-hand corner. She is in the foreground. She has bent her elbow to place her fingertips to her temple while her chin is tilting down, emoting signs of stress or worry. In the left-hand corner are three people, two women and one man, who appear to be talking while looking at the woman standing alone. These people are in the background, and they are out of focus.

Top 5 October 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past October? Check out the October top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Nov. 12, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Anti-Bias Training For Law Enforcement (1 hour)

The face of America continues to evolve, and our nation is more diverse than ever before. People in cities, suburbs, and towns served by law enforcement are a rich tapestry of races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. This diverse group of individuals deserves to be treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. Unfortunately, tragedies can result when there is an adversarial relationship or misunderstanding between law enforcement and the community. Recognizing the diversity and types of bias when serving the community will reduce misunderstandings, confusion, and stereotypes while promoting knowledge and awareness for the officer. In this one-hour course, we will explore many effective strategies to help you to connect with the community along with recommendations you can use immediately.

2. Airborne and Bloodborne Pathogens

Humans are walking sources of air and fluid, and the air and fluid of others are potential sources of infections for first responders. This 1-hour course will review the airborne and bloodborne pathogens first responders commonly encounter in serving their communities, as well as the equipment and preventative measures that protect first responders from infectious pathogens.

3. Time Management Skills

Time can feel like a fleeting object. With only so many minutes in the day to accomplish all of the tasks you set out to do, its important to be able to manage your time wisely and effectively. In this course, learners will explore the ways they can manage their time, defeat procrastination, and accomplish their goals not only in the workplace but also their personal lives.

4. Emotional Intelligence for Leaders (Tied for fourth)

There are many traits and characteristics of a good leader, but recent research has discovered the impact emotional intelligence plays in a leaders success. This course will instruct and provide leaders with techniques to grow and develop in their emotional intelligence and become better leaders.

4. Interviewing Skills for Managers: Conducting an Interview (Tied for fourth)

This course is designed to provide managers with the knowledge and skills to recruit and onboard the right talent. Behavioral interviewing is a proven hiring technique that will allow you to hire candidates who have the necessary skills to perform at the highest level on a job. This technique has a higher percentage than traditional interviewing processes for predicting the future of job candidates.

4. Understanding Behavior, Burnout, and Depression (Tied for fourth)

In our fast-paced world, many people are tired, overworked, and stressed. Between the constant flow of e-mails, being tethered to a smartphone, and other social, family, and work responsibilities, finding your ‘normal’ can be challenging. Not surprisingly, some people seem to have more issues with stress than others. We know that some stress is healthy, but constant levels of stress can become problematic to the point of burnout and depression. To truly understand the human condition, we need to define what is normal vs. abnormal behavior. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress, burnout, and depression will help you to pinpoint warning signs in yourself and others.

5. Successful Customer Interactions (Tied for fifth)

There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and the success of a business or department. Welcoming customers means working to create satisfied customers from the inside-out. When local government creates satisfied customers, we create empowered and informed citizens. In this course, learners will discover how to interact as co-workers and service providers. We will also cover understanding the customer goal and how to create goals that will lead to successful customer interactions.

5. Workplace Bullying (Tied for fifth)

When we think of bullying, we immediately associate it with the school yard, certainly not something we face as an adult. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace occurs more often than you think. In fact, there are various forms of bullying, from overt forms to those which are quite passive. Workplace bullying may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee as well as your employer. A thorough understanding of workplace bullying will help promote awareness and ultimately prevention.

Register Today!

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Large orange pumpkin on the left with a dark forest scene in the background. The background includes white fog over black, dark blue, and dark purple colors.

LocalGovU’s Spookiest Courses; Take Them, If You Dare

We couldn’t conjure a LocalGovU course about snakes or spiders, but we did find a variety of topics that lean into the spooky season and boiled down the options to the following five in our spooky course list.

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Oct. 24, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

Cemetery Maintenance
Whether caring for a small family cemetery or a large historical cemetery, maintenance is a highly-regarded service that friends and families of those loved ones buried there value. This course will focus on the safety precautions to take while on the job, as well as different ways to enhance the experiences of cemetery guests.

Chainsaw Safety
Like all power tools, a chainsaw saves both time and labor if used properly. However, chainsaws present serious danger when in the hands of an inexperienced operator. According to insurance companies, medical costs for chainsaw injuries amount to at least $450 million per year. Operators who take precautions when using a chainsaw help create a safe and secure environment for themselves and their co-workers. Taking the precautions this course will cover can prevent the long-term negative effects that can result from accidents.

Confined Spaces 101
Confined spaces can be especially dangerous for workers who routinely work in them. Without careful consideration of the possible hazards in these spaces, workers can be exposed to the potentially deadly workspaces. In this course, employers and employees will review the basic knowledge and skills necessary to operate in and around confined spaces safely, effectively, and efficiently, according to standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Confined Spaces 102
Confined spaces pose many potentially dangerous situations for workers and emergency responders. It is incumbent that employers evaluate all spaces in which their employees work to determine if hazards exist or if the work can create hazards. Employers must ensure that their employees and contractors take specific precautions whenever workers enter a dangerous space. This course will educate learners who work in confined spaces on how to develop a safe work environment that complies with the applicable federal regulations.

Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence
From simplifying daily tasks to providing powerful insights into complex data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we interact with technology. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and capabilities of AI. It also explores the relationship between AI and Cybersecurity, and includes strategies to mitigate risk in our evolving digital landscape.

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Top 5 September 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past September? Check out the September top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Oct. 8, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques

This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

2. Defensive Driving Basics

This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.

3. Bus Safety: Distracted Driving

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use and drowsiness. Reducing operator distractions and improving safety is a shared responsibility of both the transit agency and the operator. This one-hour course is intended to educate bus transit systems employees on how to reduce or eliminate distractions while driving.

4. Evasive Driving

Dave Smith discusses staying aware and being ready to use evasive driving skills at all times.

5. Anti-Harassment in the Workplace (Tied)

Harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that requires a thorough understanding to promote awareness and ultimately prevention. Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee, and your employer. Recognizing the various types of harassment will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report harassment.

5. Autism Recognition and Response (Tied)

After watching this video, the viewer will be familiar with overt signs of Autism and gain tips where to look for a missing Autistic person.

5. Bus Operations: Operator Training (Tied)

This one-hour course is intended to provide an overview of what bus transit systems operators must know prior to operating a vehicle. This course reflects the consensus of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Bus Standards Program members on the items, methods, and procedures that have provided the best performance record based on the experiences of those present and participating in meetings of the Program Task Forces and Working Groups. APTA recognizes that for certain applications, the practices, as implemented by operating agencies, may be either more or less restrictive than those given in this course.

5. Cyber Terms (Tied)

In this video, Jonathan McCombs, PhD offers some common definitions of cyber security.

5. Discipline of Being Positive (Tied)

Dan Marcou talks with Doug Wyllie about the importance of staying positive throughout your career, and tips on how to do it.

5. Driver Assessment Traffic Stop MA (Tied)

After watching this video, the viewer will see the importance of driver assessment.

5. Drug Recognition (Tied)

In this video, Dave Smith talks to drug recognition expert Kyle Clark about modern drug combinations and how to recognize drug impairment.

5. Winter Driving Safety (Tied)

In this video tip, PoliceOne Contributor Dave Smith discusses some of the dangers of winter driving and offers the reminder that as the winter seasons begins its important to refresh your memory and if possible, your physical skills on how vehicles respond on slick road surfaces.

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

TOP 5 APRIL 2024 COMPLETED LOCALGOVU COURSES

 

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past April? Check out the April top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed June 5, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Anti-Harassment in the Workplace

Harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that requires a thorough understanding to promote awareness and ultimately prevention. Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee, and your employer. Recognizing the various types of harassment will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report harassment.

2. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences both for yourself and your employer. If you are a victim of sexual harassment, this may create a hostile work environment which takes a toll on your career, your personal life, and your health. Recognizing what sexual harassment is, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report sexual harassment.

3. Defensive Driving Basics

This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.

4. Successful Customer Interactions

There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and the success of a business or department. Welcoming customers means working to create satisfied customers from the inside-out. When local government creates satisfied customers, we create empowered and informed citizens. In this course, learners will discover how to interact as co-workers and service providers. We will also cover understanding the customer goal and how to create goals that will lead to successful customer interactions.

5. Ethical Behavior for Local Government

In this course, we will define ethical behavior, provide examples of work situations where a thorough understanding of workplace ethics may be applied, and ways in which you can determine if your decisions and behavior are meeting the appropriate standards.

5. Developing Effective Communication Skills

Communicating with coworkers, clients, and management is a core activity for most positions. If you communicate effectively, you are more likely to achieve success in your career and personal life. Being a good listener and knowing how to write effective documents will also ensure your success as a communicator. This course will provide you with tools and suggestions on how to accomplish this goal.

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Top 5 February 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past February? Check out the February top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed March 7, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Anti-Harassment in the Workplace

Harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that requires a thorough understanding to promote awareness and ultimately prevention. Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee, and your employer. Recognizing the various types of harassment will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report harassment.

2. Defensive Driving Basics

This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.

3. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

In previous eras, people often became caught in an “either/or” situation because employers were not always cooperative when individuals needed time for personal matters. Employees ran the risk of losing their jobs and benefits if they made the choice of putting their family first. Fortunately, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take the time they need to handle life events. We will go over the FMLA in detail to help you understand the basic provisions and how the FMLA can benefit you.

4. Interviewing Skills for Managers: Conducting an Interview

This course is designed to provide managers with the knowledge and skills to recruit and onboard the right talent. Behavioral interviewing is a proven hiring technique that will allow you to hire candidates who have the necessary skills to perform at the highest level on a job. This technique has a higher percentage than traditional interviewing processes for predicting the future of job candidates.

5. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences both for yourself and your employer. If you are a victim of sexual harassment, this may create a hostile work environment which takes a toll on your career, your personal life, and your health. Recognizing what sexual harassment is, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report sexual harassment.

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Top 5 January 2024 Completed LocalGovU Courses

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past January? Check out the January top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Feb. 20, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

In previous eras, people often became caught in an “either/or” situation because employers were not always cooperative when individuals needed time for personal matters. Employees ran the risk of losing their jobs and benefits if they made the choice of putting their family first. Fortunately, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take the time they need to handle life events. We will go over the FMLA in detail to help you understand the basic provisions and how the FMLA can benefit you.

2. Successful Customer Interactions

There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and the success of a business or department. Welcoming customers means working to create satisfied customers from the inside-out. When local government creates satisfied customers, we create empowered and informed citizens. In this course, learners will discover how to interact as co-workers and service providers. We will also cover understanding the customer goal and how to create goals that will lead to successful customer interactions.

3. Defensive Driving Basics (Tied)

This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.

3. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques (Tied)

This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

4. Anti-Harassment in the Workplace (Tied)

Harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that requires a thorough understanding to promote awareness and ultimately prevention. Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee, and your employer. Recognizing the various types of harassment will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report harassment.

4. Ethical Behavior for Local Government (Tied)

In this course, we will define ethical behavior, provide examples of work situations where a thorough understanding of workplace ethics may be applied, and ways in which you can determine if your decisions and behavior are meeting the appropriate standards.

5. Discipline and Termination (Tied)

In every organization, employees are let go for various reasons. The decision to discipline or even terminate an employee is not one that should be taken lightly, and there is a right and wrong way to approach the situation. In this course, learners will explore ways to appropriately address issues before termination is necessary, be able to terminate employees confidently if discipline fails, and for employees to understand the need for a disciplinary process and the rules and expectations that inform them.

5. Interviewing Skills for Managers: Conducting an Interview (Tied)

This course is designed to provide managers with the knowledge and skills to recruit and onboard the right talent. Behavioral interviewing is a proven hiring technique that will allow you to hire candidates who have the necessary skills to perform at the highest level on a job. This technique has a higher percentage than traditional interviewing processes for predicting the future of job candidates.

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Shows hands typing on a laptop keyboard. Images of a book, bar graph, video, graduation hat, magnifying glass, and target icons are lightly imprinted in white over the image.

2023 Top 10 LocalGovU Courses

Giving your political subdivision’s employees opportunities to grow their professional knowledge and further hone their skills is “can significantly enhance employee buy-in. In fact, studies indicate that 94% of employees are more likely to stay with an organization that offers professional development pathways” (Goodbread, J., Five Strategies for Driving Employee Engagement, www.Forbes.com, accessed 3 Jan. 2024).

Whether you have an existing internal training program or you’re looking for a place to start, the NDIRF’s online training platform LocalGovU can help! LocalGovU gives you access to thousands of online local government training courses for every department within your political subdivision – from HR and professional development to road maintenance and equipment safety, and even POST certified law enforcement courses.

Any of your political subdivision’s employees can access these courses at no cost through your entity’s NDIRF membership. Registration takes only a few minutes, and you can even set up a curriculum specific to your employees’ needs, complete with automated email reminders. Think “set it and forget it!”

Join the North Dakota political subdivisions today who are already using LocalGovU to provide their employees with self-paced, online training courses that feature the latest information and industry trends.

To demonstrate the variety of courses LocalGovU offers, check out the top 10 courses NDIRF members completed in 2023:

*Course summaries provided by LocalGovU (www.ndirf.localgovu.com, accessed Jan. 3, 2024).

  1. Workplace Bullying
    When we think of bullying, we immediately associate it with the school yard, certainly not something we face as an adult. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace occurs more often than you think. In fact, there are various forms of bullying, from overt forms to those which are quite passive. Workplace bullying may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee as well as your employer. A thorough understanding of workplace bullying will help promote awareness and ultimately prevention.
  2. Defensive Driving Basics
    This course will dive into the basics of defensive driving, including its definition, purpose, and importance, as well as the factors that play an important role from the driver’s perspective. We will also discuss the equipment and judgment necessary for driving safely, as well as review the types of impairment that should be avoided to increase driver safety.
  3. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques
    This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.
  4. Anti-Harassment in the Workplace
    Harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that requires a thorough understanding to promote awareness and ultimately prevention. Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee, and your employer. Recognizing the various types of harassment will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report harassment.
  5. Ethical Behavior for Local Government
    In this course, we will define ethical behavior, provide examples of work situations where a thorough understanding of workplace ethics may be applied, and ways in which you can determine if your decisions and behavior are meeting the appropriate standards.
  6. De-Escalation and Minimizing Use of Force
    In this course, students will learn to identify techniques for de-escalation, plan for minimizing use of force, explain the importance of training officers for these encounters and, lastly, apply these strategies to de-escalate volatile situations. Students will be better equipped mentally to make the critical decisions under stress necessary to de-escalate crisis situations and to minimize the force used when use of force becomes necessary.
  7. Successful Customer Interactions
    There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and the success of a business or department. Welcoming customers means working to create satisfied customers from the inside-out. When local government creates satisfied customers, we create empowered and informed citizens. In this course, learners will discover how to interact as co-workers and service providers. We will also cover understanding the customer goal and how to create goals that will lead to successful customer interactions.
  8. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
    In previous eras, people often became caught in an “either/or” situation because employers were not always cooperative when individuals needed time for personal matters. Employees ran the risk of losing their jobs and benefits if they made the choice of putting their family first. Fortunately, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take the time they need to handle life events. We will go over the FMLA in detail to help you understand the basic provisions and how the FMLA can benefit you.
  9. Children and Law Enforcement
    The abuse, disappearance, or loss of a child is hard, not only for the family but also on the officer involved in the case. This one-hour training block will touch on tools and resources available to law enforcement in the event of a child related crime as well as the importance of helping officers involved in a case where the death of a child has occurred.
  10. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
    Improper behavior in the workplace may have significant consequences both for yourself and your employer. If you are a victim of sexual harassment, this may create a hostile work environment which takes a toll on your career, your personal life, and your health. Recognizing what sexual harassment is, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report sexual harassment.

Contact Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com or (701) 751-9107 or visit www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training to learn more about LocalGovU and get started today!