A skilled workforce is critical to public health, and the performance of public health organizations is closely tied to the competence of their workforce. Foundational knowledge and skills for the broad practice of public health are described in the consensus set of Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages). The Core Competencies have been widely used by health departments and academic institutions across the country since they were first released in 2001. These competencies offer a starting point for implementing workforce development initiatives, helping organizations craft job descriptions, assess the skills of their workforce, create workforce development plans, develop and deliver competency-based training, strengthen performance, and achieve accreditation.
 
Periodic revision of these competencies is key to ensuring they remain relevant for public health professionals and organizations and keep pace with the changing realities of public health, and the Council on Linkages relies on input from public health professionals across the country in revising the Core Competencies. Join this virtual town hall session to share your thoughts and experiences related to the Core Competencies and influence their revision. Hearing directly from those who are and are not using the Core Competencies about the benefits of the Core Competencies, ways in which they are being used, their use in preparing for accreditation, barriers and challenges to use, and suggestions for areas of improvement, among other topics, will help to ensure the Core Competencies continue to support and enhance organizational performance.
 
Input from public health professionals will be central in determining the future competencies that guide the profession, and this session will be one of the earliest opportunities to shape the direction of the Core Competencies. Opportunities to contribute input about these competencies beyond this conference session will be provided, as will opportunities for becoming more involved in work related to the Core Competencies.

 

For more information about this session, please contact Kathleen Amos at kamos@phf.org.