1. (a) Scope and Purpose. The Commission provides training opportunities to enhance job skills and to retain a well qualified, trained, professional workforce dedicated to the Commission's mission. The Professional Development Program training includes instruction, teaching, or other education received by a state employee that is not normally received by other state employees and that is designed to enhance the ability of the employee to perform the employee's job. This section establishes eligibility and related requirements for employee participation in the Commission's Professional Development Program.

2. (b) Eligibility. The executive director or the executive director's designee will determine an employee's eligibility for the professional development program. Factors to be considered include but are not limited to:

   1. (1) An employee's job performance;
   2. (2) A recommendation from the employee's supervisor;
   3. (3) The relationship of the training to the employee's position; and
   4. (4) Any other factor deemed relevant by the executive director or his designee.

3. (c) Restitution from Employees for Training Costs. The employee training is conditional upon all of the following:

   1. (1) The employee shall attend and satisfactorily complete the training, including passing tests or other types of performance measures where required.
   2. (2) At the discretion of the executive director or the executive director's designee, the employee shall complete and file with the Commission prior to the commencement of the training, on forms prescribed by the Commission, an employee training agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions of the training assistance, including a provision for working for the agency for a prescribed period of time or paying back the amount of the assistance.

   3. (3) For any training paid for by the Commission, where the employee does not perform the employee's regular duties for three or more months due to the training, the employee shall:

      1. (A) work for the agency following the training for at least one month for each month of the training period, prorated as appropriate; or
      2. (B) pay the Commission for all costs associated with the training that were paid before, during or after the training, including any amounts of the employee's salary that were paid and that were not accounted for as paid vacation or compensation leave.

Source Note:The provisions of this §800.5 adopted to be effective December 13, 1999, 24 TexReg 11126.