The Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) has gone live with a new online registration system. Training through FAI is offered both online and in the classroom and is always free to federal employees.
When you request training, it will ask for your supervisor’s approval. Your direct supervisor will need to register in the system – it only takes about a minute to do this at the following link: https://www.fai.gov/
If you have technical problems, you can always contact the FAI Help Desk as noted below -
NOTE: You may get a “warning message” when you go onto the FAI site due to an expired security certificate saying the site is unsafe. This issue has been reported, but the site in fact safe and you should proceed.
FAITAS 2.0 Quick Guide:Click Here
Federal Acquisition Institute:https://www.fai.gov/
FAQs: https://www.atrrs.army.mil/faitas/External/FAQ
FAI Help Desk: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Call: (703) 752-9604
http://www.fai.gov/addtroubleticket.aspx
FAITAS v.2.0 Frequently Asked Questions
- • Who should I contact if there is an issue with my class registration?
To follow up with training requests submitted through the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS), contact the FAI Helpdesk. The helpdesk can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-752-9604. - • Why am I receiving a security certificate error when I try to visit the FAITAS website?
The previous DOD security certificate expired on July 5, 2009. ATRRS has new updated certificates, but you may need to download the new certificates because they were issued by a new certification authority. If you are receiving an error message when trying to get to any ATRRS sites, including the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS), you can download the new DOD Certificate by going to the following website: https://www.dodpke.com/installroot . After downloading and installing InstallRoot 3.12.MSI, you will want to add the ATRRS Homepage to your trusted sites. If you need your local network administrator to assist you with installing the certificates and adding the ATRRS Homepage to your trusted sites, you may click on the Continue to This Website link (with the red shield) to navigate to the site without installing the certificates. Once the certificates are installed you will no longer receive the warning message. - How will supervisor selection work in the new system?
Email addresses for supervisors will be validated when each supervisor registers in the new system. This means employees will no longer have to input their supervisor’s email address manually. Employees will then select their supervisor using a new “search” feature on the Profile. If your supervisor has not created an account in the system, you can still save your profile with that section empty. You will not be able to take any other actions in the system until they have created an account and you have designated them as your supervisor. - Do I need to pay for classes offered by FAI?
There is no cost to federal employees or their agencies for classes registered for through FAITAS. Individuals attending resident courses only incur cost of travel and lodging. Materials for the class are provided by the vendor. Please refer to the second paragraph on the following link for confirmation that there is no tuition cost for FAI classes: http://www.fai.gov/training/findcourses.asp . FAI does not provide training to federal contractors or private industry employees, as the organization is funded by the government to serve the federal acquisition workforce. - Can employees cancel a training request?
Yes. Employees are encouraged to submit a cancellation request if they know they will not be able to attend a course. If no cancellation is received by 10 days prior to the class start date, the “No Show” penalty will prevent them from signing up for that course again for three (3) months. - How do I access an online course I’ve registered for?
Although online courses are registered for through the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS), they are launched from the DAU Virtual Campus. Once an individual is approved for an online course, a confirmation email is sent to the registrant from DAU. Confirmation emails for first time users will be sent as a set of three. One will provide a user name, the second with a password, and the third will contain a link to the virtual campus. Students who have previously registered for online courses will be sent one email containing their user name and a link to the virtual campus. If you have not received these emails for any reason, contact the DAU (ATLAS) Helpdesk and request to have them resent/expedited. The DAU Helpdesk can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-805-3459; option 1. - How do I obtain a copy of the Certificate of Completion for an online training course?
• Once you have completed the online course exam and the survey, click the Exit button. There will be a link available for you to download your certificate. DAU will also provide you with instructions on how to retrieve your certificate via email. If you have difficulty with their instructions or with any of the links which guide you through the printing process, please contact the DAU Helpdesk for assistance. They can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-805-3459, option 1. - Can I access the FAITAS site from my home?
Yes. The FAITAS application is available from any computer. However, a federal email address is required in your profile and all notifications will be sent to your government inbox. If you intend to take online training at home, be sure you have access to the mail being sent to your federal email address. If you do not have access, it is recommended that the training request is submitted from the workplace and notifications containing credentials for the virtual campus are forwarded to a personal email address. - Can I upload information about courses I completed outside of FAI?
Currently, there is no upload feature in FAITAS for certificates to be attached to an application or to add training taken through an outside organization to your training record. This feature is coming soon! In the meantime, if you would like to use training taken through an approved equivalent provider as satisfaction of a prerequisite for an FAI course, submit your completion certificate for the prerequisite to [email protected] . Be sure to send the email and attachment AFTER an application for the desired course has been submitted, as the registrar will search for pending training requests upon receipt of the email. - Do I use FAITAS for onsite and online class registrations?
FAITAS is a registration system that can be used by non-DOD federal employees to submit training requests for both onsite and online training. - Does FAI pay for travel and lodging costs associated with training?
FAI does not cover any cost for travel and lodging associated with training. These costs are the responsibility of the student or their agency. - How can I obtain training offered by FAI if I am not a federal employee?
You can find approved equivalent providers in the DAU iCatalog (http://icatalog.dau.mil/) by clicking the Equivalent Products tab, and then selecting either Colleges & Universities or Commercial Vendors. Pay close attention to the approval period that each organization is approved to teach different classes, as this will affect whether or not training would be considered acceptable and for what duration of time. - How do I obtain a copy of a completion certificate for a resident course?
Depending on the course, your completion certificate will be either emailed to you or mailed to the address you provided during registration on the first day of class. Certificates are issued approximately two weeks after the last day of training. If you have not received your certificate one month following the completion of the course, contact the FAI Helpdesk to request assistance with obtaining a copy. The FAI Helpdesk can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-752-9604. - How do I obtain a transcript of the courses completed in FAITAS?
A transcript request should be sent to [email protected] . In the subject line type ‘Transcript Request.’ You will need to provide your full name, the agency you are employed by and an address for the educational institution that you would like to have your transcript sent to. A copy can be sent to you, via email, upon request. - How do I obtain an employee identification number (EIN), since I do not have a social security number?
In order to request that an EIN be used in place of an SSN, you must contact the ATRRS Helpdesk. The ATRRS Helpdesk can be reached via email at [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name and country of origin when sending your request. They will respond in approximately 72 hours, at which time you will be able to use the EIN to login and register for courses in FAITAS. Be aware that the EIN will be sent as a reply to the email you send, so be certain that you are following up regularly with the email account you sent the request from as you wait for a response. - How will I update my profile in the new system?
You will be able to update your profile by accessing the “Manage Profile” page from the “My Status” menu. - How will the login process change with FAITAS 2.0?
You will only be required to input your social security number (SSN) during the initial registration process. To log into the system, you will use your federal email address and a self-created password. Should you forget your password, you will be able to retrieve it with a security code that will be sent to that email address. - How will the system change for employees?
Courses using a key word search for terms in the course ID or course title. This will allow users to locate courses easily. Training applications will be pre-populated with profile information. Students can also find courses by subject area. Course IDs now use a prefix to identify area of acquisition (e.g. Contracting = “CON,” Acquisition Program Management “APM”). There will be only one catalog rather than choosing between Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and FAI (and DHS) offerings. When looking up a course by name, you will choose whether the DAU Continuous Learning online modules list is sorted by Course ID or Course Title. - How will the system change for registrars?
Registrars will now be able to “hold” requests that are reviewed, but not ready for action. - How will the system change for supervisors?
Supervisors will be able to access training history directly from a training request, as well as send an email to the employee. The refined interface design for training request workflow allows managers to process training requests easily. - In case of an emergency who do I need to contact to cancel my class reservation?
Cancellation requests for classroom courses must be submitted by the student through FAITAS. From the “Manage Career” menu, select “Manage Training Requests”, then select the View/Edit link to submit a cancellation. To cancel an online course, a request must be sent to the DAU Helpdesk via email at [email protected]. - What are the approved top level domains (TLD) used for creating a FAITAS profile user name?
FAI has approved the use of the following top level domains (TLD) to create a FAITAS profile user name: @[any agency].gov @[any services].mil @anthc.orh - Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium @fbiacademy.edu – DOJ FBI Academy @frb.fed.us - Federal Reserve System @fs.fed.us – USDA Forest Service @fsafeds.com - Office of Personnel Management @kennedy-center.org – The Kennedy Center @secureskies.net – DHS Transportation Security Administration @si.edu – The Smithsonian institute @usaid.fed.us - U.S. Agency for International Development @ushmm.org - U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum @usmma.edu – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy @usps.com – U.S. Postal Service If you do not find your domain name in the approved list above and feel it should be added please send an email to [email protected] and mention "Domain Name for Approval for FAITAS". - What are the cut off dates for class registration?
The registration close dates are displayed next to the class start and end dates in the registration process. Registration closes 15 calendar days prior to the class start date (registration close dates vary for FAI class offerings). You may also visit the FAI website, www.FAI.gov, and click the Course Schedule link in the upper right corner of the homepage to view registration close dates. - What are the different roles in FAITAS?
Roles in FAITAS 2.0 include Administrator, Registrar, Bureau Training Manager, Supervisor, and Student/Employee - What are the FAI Helpdesk hours?
The FAI Helpdesk is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). - What happened to my records in ACMIS?
ACMIS will be taken offline on May 31. Any inquiries regarding the ACMIS system should be directed to the ACMIS Helpdesk. They can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-605-3535. - What has changed about the registration workflow?
Applications are now reviewed by your supervisor and your bureau training manager or acquisition career manager (ACM). This means you should remember to submit your applications early. - What if the email address I use as my user name changes?
Log in as you normally would. Then go to the “My Status” menu and select “Manage Account” to modify your email address If your email address has changed and you do not remember your password, you will not be able to use the password retrieval process. In this case, please contact the FAI helpdesk at 703-752-9604 for assistance, or submit an FAI Help Desk Ticket. - What is a wait list? Can I see where my position is on a wait list?
• There are a limited number of seats in each class and once filled, remaining applicants are placed on a waitlist. If seats become available as a result of reservations being cancelled, students on the waitlist are moved to the roster in the order in which their applications were received. If you would like to inquire what position you are on the waitlist, please submit a ticket to the FAI Helpdesk. Go to the “Help” menu and select the “Helpdesk” option. - What is an open enrollment period? Can I register for a class before open enrollment period starts?
Open enrollment period begins when a class is open to all applicants and training requests are processed on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is best to apply for any course as early as possible, even when enrollment is not “open” for a course. Once applications are being processed using open enrollment, training requests will be processed in the order that they entered the registrar’s queue. - What is FAI’s policy regarding cancellations?
You will be marked as a "No Show" if you do not attend a resident class for which you are registered. You will not be able to register for the same course for a period of three (3) months. A “No Show” notification is sent to you, as well as to your Supervisor and Bureau Training Manager. To avoid the “No Show” penalty, you must cancel your registration no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the class start date. This penalty does not apply to online training. - What new features can we expect?
The first thing you’ll see after logging into the system is your personal Dashboard. This interface will have moveable windows called “widgets.” These widgets will contain information relevant to different roles. All users will have an Announcements widget that contains the latest news and general information. Employees will have a widget that allows them to see upcoming classes, pending requests, and a link to apply for new training. Supervisors will also have a widget that allows them to access training requests directly. - Which course(s) require completion of a prerequisite?
Prerequisites are displayed during the registration process, and can be verified using the iCatalog (http://icatalog.dau.mil/). Choose Training Courses or Continuous Learning. Clicking on either of these will take you to tabbed browsing of the courses that fall under each category. Find the course you are looking for and click on the underlined course code. This process will lead you to the details of each course, including prerequisites, if applicable. - Why do I keep getting waitlisted for the DAU classes I apply for?
DOD employees take priority in DAU classes, which results in non-DOD federal employees being automatically wait-listed for their course offerings. If DAU cannot fill their classes with DOD employees, non-DOD applicants are added to the class roster. In addition, if DAU has more DOD applicants than there are seats in the class and Defense employees are added to the waitlist, civilian federal employees will be bumped from their original waitlist position to ensure that DOD employees remain the priority. Unfortunately, there is no way to provide details on one’s waitlist position, as it is subject to change. If you have not been added to the roster two weeks prior to the start-date, one should submit an application for a later offering or explore course offering options available through FAI. - Why do I need to fill out a survey form to obtain my Certificate of Completion?
The survey you are prompted to take after the exam of an online training course is a DAU requirement. Once the survey is complete, you will be able to download and print a copy of your completion certificate. - What is the contact information for the FAI Helpdesk?
The FAI Helpdesk can be reached using the Contact Us link under the “Help” menu or at the bottom of the FAI homepage (https://www.FAI.gov ). Select the FAI Helpdesk Ticket link to submit a request for assistance. A representative will be in contact with you via email. A specialist can also be reached by emailing [email protected] or calling 703-752-9604.
