Press
Examiner training benefits credit unions
NCUA’s National Training Conference Comes in 8.5 Percent Below Budget
ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 21, 2014) — Federally insured credit unions will benefit from better examinations and service from National Credit Union Administration examiners after the completion of an extensive skills development program conducted at the agency’s biennial National Training Conference.
“Providing the credit union system with well-prepared and knowledgeable examiners is essential to protecting safety and soundness,” NCUA Executive Director Mark Treichel said. “The kind of professional development that takes place at the National Training Conference makes the examination process operate more efficiently and provides greater consistency.”
The “Pathway to the Future” National Training Conference, held April 28 through May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla., drew more than 1,200 participants and came in $176,133 below budget, a savings of 8.5 percent. The 2014 National Training Conference also cost $512,945 less than the 2012 event. A summary of the 2014 National Training Conference costs is provided below.
The National Training Conference featured main sessions on NCUA’s examination program focused on prevention, administrative actions and supervisory committee audits, as well as ethics, professional development and technology tools. The breakout sessions included discussions on interest rate risk and liquidity, lending and compliance with new mortgage rules.
“This training is part NCUA’s efforts to modernize operations and stay abreast of changes in the credit union system,” Treichel said. “With so many of our staff based across the country, bringing everyone together for this sort of comprehensive training is the surest, most cost-effective way to help them develop or improve their skills.”
Recently hired examiners benefitted from opportunities to learn best practices from their veteran colleagues. Staff also heard presentations from the agency’s Chief Information Officer and the Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives.
“It’s important to provide new staff with the chance to learn directly from their more experienced peers,” Treichel said. “That kind of professional exchange of ideas is very helpful to practitioners in any field.”
During the National Training Conference, NCUA also provided staff with security upgrades to their standard required government personal identification cards, enabling the agency to save the time and expense that would have been necessary had staff been required to travel to General Services Administration regional offices for the upgrades. NCUA staff also received updated software for their computers.