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Who can attend PDS courses?
All Iowa government employees may attend PDS courses. This may include
state, city, and county organizations, as well as public education
units.
Am I eligible to attend a specific PDS course?
Most PDS courses have a recommended eligibility listed in the PDS course catalog. It is up to individual agencies to approve or deny course enrollments based on the recommended eligibility.
When will you cancel a course due to severe weather?
PDS utilizes the DMACC Urban Campus as a guide for weather-related
cancellations. If the DMACC Urban Campus is closed due to inclement
weather, all PDS courses scheduled at the Capitol Complex and New
Horizons Computer Learning Center will be cancelled.
Review the
PDS Severe Weather Policy
How can I determine my level of software competence?
First, read the course description of the course you're interested in. The course description includes any prerequisite courses needed. In addition to prerequisites, PDS computer skills courses have skill levels indicated.
How do I sign up for PDS courses?
Once you've determined the courses you need, complete a PDS Registration
form. Obtain the appropriate signatures and submit the signed form
to your department's Training
Liaison. Each department will approve or deny training requests.
Once approved, the Training Liaison will then enroll the employee
into the course. If your organization does not have a training
liaison, please fax your completed registration form to 515-242-6450.
How will I know if I am enrolled in a course?
Course notifications including the course title, instructor, date(s), starting and ending times, location, and any required pre-work will be forwarded to department Training Liaisons for distribution a minimum of two weeks before the course date. In the event of a course cancellation after notifications have been sent out, PDS will contact Training Liaisons or course enrollees.
What if I need to miss part of a PDS course?
Employees receiving course confirmations for a PDS course are expected to attend the entire course and to complete a course evaluation form. Participants who are absent more than 30 minutes from a training session will not receive credit for course attendance and the employee's department will still be charged. Absences are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are up to the instructor's discretion.
How do I cancel a PDS course?
If a course costs $99 or less: Participant cancellations must be received by PDS at least five working days prior to the course date. Departments can send a replacement to avoid being billed for a late cancellation if communicated to PDS. Enrollees may be excused for personal or job emergencies or illness when these are communicated by their supervisors to PDS.
If a course costs $100 or more: ANY enrollment cancellation received after the course has been confirmed will be billed to departments. Courses are generally confirmed a minimum of two weeks prior to the course date. Departments can send a replacement to avoid being billed for a late cancellation if communicated to PDS.
How do I pay for a PDS workshop?
State of Iowa Department of Administrative Services bills the agency
or organization that has a staff member attend a PDS seminar. Attendees
may also pay for the seminar individually by providing a check
to PDS, Attn: Leslie Grefe, for the cost of the seminar. Checks
should be payable to ‘Treasurer State of Iowa’. Pre-payment
may be requested for non-state employees.
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