Durham Strategic Plan Dashboard
Prosperity
Status Indicator: 
In Progress | 
On Hold | 
Complete/Ongoing
Initiative: 4.12 Create employee development strategies based on current and future needs
Innovative & High Performing Organization
Description
One of the core values of the City of Durham is its employees. By investing in learning and development opportunities, the City demonstrates a clear commitment to the growth and success of its employes. These opportunities improve retention and job satisfaction and promote a supportive work environment where collaboration and knowledge-sharing thrive. A strong focus on employee development builds a culture of continuous learning, helps address skills gaps, and ensures the City can adapt to emerging trends, positioning Durham to remain competitive with other municipalities in today’s labor market.
Key Measures & Data Analysis
The City's learning management system content needed to be refreshed and the City is in the process of implementing Oracle which will be a new platform for the learning management system. Open Sesame is the chosen new content provider and as of April 2026, the transition to the new platform and provider is in process and expected to launch in May.
Learning Management System Use
Why is it important?
Employee development supports retention and serves to advance the City’s recruitment strategy when it comes to women, people of color, and other diverse demographics.
Historically marginalized group may enter the workforce with increased disadvantages and higher student loan debt. Therefore, the opportunity to gain new skills makes the value proposition of working for the City of Durham even greater when considering programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
What have we been doing?
HR has expanded and diversified employee development offerings — from supervisor training and leadership programs to self-directed learning and employee recognition — building a culture of continuous growth across the City.
Key activities include:
• Completing New Supervisor Academy Cohort 3 and planning Cohort 4, building foundational leadership skills for new supervisors citywide.
• Relaunching City College and Midday Moments as accessible, on-the-job learning opportunities for all employees.
• Planning the 2026 Employee Development Conference and Leadership Retreat for Directors and Assistant Directors.
• Advancing Oracle Learning Module implementation to support a centralized, trackable learning management system.
• Launching the Employee Service Year Recognition program to honor long-tenured staff.
What's next?
Efforts to deepen and expand employee development will continue through the following activities:
• New Supervisor Academy Cohort 4 – Launching in May to continue building supervisor capacity.
• Quarterly Learning Labs – Delivering Lab 2 in April and Lab 3 in June.
• Oracle Learning Rollout – Completing End User Orientation for HR Modules and launching learning content marketing.
• Employee Recognition – Continuing the Employee Service Year Recognition program.
• 2026 Conference and Retreat – Finalizing planning for the Employee Development Conference and Leadership Retreat.
City Website Home Page: Durham, NC | Official Website (durhamnc.gov)
Budget Website Page: Budget & Management Services Department | Durham, NC (durhamnc.gov)
Budget and Management Services Department
Office of Performance and Innovation
Strategy and Performance Division