Wait times for licenses decline as Georgia schools Driver Services managers | jacksonville.com

ATLANTA | Wait times to get driver’s licenses have shrunk each of the past 13 months, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, and executives said Monday that further improvements are likely to result from a system-wide training program.

Called DDS University, the 2-year-old program focuses initially on front-line, customer-service managers to help them be better at communications and supervision. So far, 17 of the 20 people who signed up for the two initial classes have completed them. And another 90 managers are eligible.

Driver Services Commissioner Rob Mikell said the reason he wanted to start the courses is because there was no formalized training for advancement.

“Over the years, in a lot of cases, if you managed a field office, it was kind of like, ‘Hey, you’ve done a great job issuing driver’s licenses, and the manager position is open. Tomorrow morning, you need to unlock the door. Here are the keys,’” he said. “We feel like we’ve moved a long way since then.”

Since an entry-level job at DDS only requires a high school diploma or GED, some workers who have risen to management posts have little or no advanced training. So Mikell assigned Reggie Smith, the department’s training coordinator, to develop some courses.

Smith tapped Georgia Piedmont Technical College to design the curriculum and provide on-site instructors for the two, 10-hour courses on business writing and time management. Working with the college kept the costs to just $62 per student or even less for online courses.

via Wait times for licenses decline as Georgia schools Driver Services managers | jacksonville.com.