Get smart at the post office

To travel "first class" and visit postal facilities, including local post offices, around the world, putting my "stamp" of approval on caches!

This is a key fob from the U.S.Postal Services' national training facility in Norman, Oklahoma. As part of my ongoing training as a electronic tech for the Post Office, I attend classes here a few times every year, to learn how to maintain the ever changing postal sorting equipment.

A LOOK AT THE NCED

The National Center for Employee Development (NCED) in Norman, OK.

Every year, more than 286,000 postal employees strengthen their skills through courses offered by the National Center for Employee Development (NCED).

NCED — housed on a postal-owned, 72-acre campus in Norman, OK — offers advanced-technology learning, business education and management development. The organization’s staff conducts hands-on technical training for employees who use or maintain high-tech mail-processing equipment, vehicles, building systems and computer-information networks. NCED also delivers and hosts general courses on management and leadership, business mail management and various programs for postal and business clients.

In business since 1970, NCED hosts about 900 employees and visitors each week at one of its three learning centers and the conference center. The 31,840-square-foot conference center has state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and can accommodate business, postal or community groups of up to 850 people.

The Main Learning Center — a 293,000-square-foot building — has 45 classrooms and 23 labs. Two smaller learning centers sit on the east border of the main campus. The 60,000-square-foot East Learning Center primarily houses training for the Automated Package Processing System, and the 128,000-square-foot Northeast Learning Center hosts training on flats sorting machines.

The NCED also leases two off-campus facilities, where it conducts vehicle maintenance courses.

Resident students stay at NCED’s 6-story housing and recreation facility. The facility contains almost 1,000 guest rooms.

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