ACN 081/19 - JUL 2019 ENLISTED RATING ADVANCEMENT TRAINING SYSTEM (ERATS) SUMMER 2019 UPDATE

ALCOAST COMMANDANT NOTICE                CANCEL DATE 30 JUL 2020

R 311453 JUL 19
FM COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA//FC-C//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N01430//
ACN 081/19
SUBJ:  ENLISTED RATING ADVANCEMENT TRAINING SYSTEM (ERATS) SUMMER 2019 UPDATE
A. Performance, Training, and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10 (series)
1. Per REF (A), this ACN promulgates updated advancement policy and procedures related
to the Enlisted Ratings Advancement Training System (ERATS) and provides updates to the
Occupational Analysis (OA) schedule.
2. ERATS Policy and Procedure:
   a. All Rating Advancement Tests (RAT) and Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME)
 Advancement Qualification Exams (AQE) are permanently cancelled. All other advancement
requirements, including completion of the Rating Performance Qualifications (RPQ) and
EPME Performance Qualifications (EPQ) remain in effect. Command Cadre and Professional
Development Coaches (PDC) are critical to ensuring the integrity of RPQ/EPQ sign-offs.
PDCs remain responsible for ensuring performance standards are being met or exceeded when
carrying out their role as signatories for RPQ/EPQs.
   b. A Rating Competency Code is required for all grades. Members who previously earned a
Rating Competency Code need not recertify unless required to do so as stated in the
rating-specific guidance memo available on the ERATS CGPortal page at the following URL:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/communities/erats/ERATS%20ANNOUNCEMENTS%20ARCHIVE/Forms/AllItems.aspx.
Review Section I: Record of Changes of each RPQ while preparing for the Servicewide Exam
to ensure you are using the most up-to-date references.
   c. RPQs should be completed and entered in the Training Management Tool (TMT) for all
candidates except those ratings with revised or new RPQs. For a number of ratings, TMT is
not being programmed to match new or revised RPQs. In these circumstances, commands are
authorized to enter rating competency completions directly into DA. A competency entry
process guide has been created and is located on the ERATS CGPortal page. The Commanding
Officer or RPQ Reviewer shall verify a candidate has completed the RPQs and authorize entry
into DA by the unit’s Personnel and Administration (P&A) entity. The following ratings are
currently impacted by these TMT issues: AMT, DC, EM, GM, HS, ME, MK, MST, OS, SK, and YN.   
3. EPME EPQs. New Enlisted Performance Qualifications (EPQs) have been approved and are
available on the ERATS CGPortal page at the following URL:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/communities/erats/EPME/SitePages/Home.aspx under the EPME 2.0
folder. Completion of the EPME 2.0 EPQs begins with the Nov 2019 SWE, and must be completed
by 01 Aug 2019 to be eligible for the Nov 2019 SWE. Additional guidance can be found at the
ERATS CGPortal site.
4. RPQ Repository. In an effort to make it easier to access RPQs, they are now housed on
each rating’s individual ERATS CGPortal Page. All ratings have been migrated over.
The most up-to-date versions will be on their ratings respective ERATS CGPortal Page at the
following URL: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/communities/erats/SitePages/Home.aspx.
5. Rating Specific Notes. Specific changes and instructions for EPQs and RPQs are now
captured in a semi-annual memo approved by FORCECOM Training Division. The approved memo is
available on the ERATS CGPortal Page under the ERATS Announcements Archive folder.
6. Occupational Analyses (OA).
   a. OA Process: Consists of a periodic review of all ranks of a specific rating.
The process includes a rating-wide survey that is used to make critical decisions related to
advancement and training requirements. Maximizing participation in the survey is critical to
ensuring the real-time world of work for a rating is accurately captured. 
   b. OA Upcoming Schedule. IV- September 2019; AST- November 2019; AET - January 2020;
OS - March 2020. These timeframes are subject to change.
7. Points of Contact:
   a. OA POC:  CWO Jennifer Riedel, Jennifer.L.Riedel@uscg.mil
   b. ERATS POC:  CPO Roberto Paulino, Roberto.A.Paulino@uscg.mil. 
   c. Rating specific advancement requirements should be directed to the respective
Rating Force Master Chief.
8. Released by RDML Brian K. Penoyer, Commander, Force Readiness Command.
9. Internet release is authorized.