Academic Degree Training Section 4107(a) of title 5 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) (1997) prohibits training to obtain an academic degree in order to qualify for appointment to a particular position or for the sole purpose of providing an opportunity to an employee to obtain one or more academic degrees. See subsection 410.308(a) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) (1997). However, 5 U.S.C. §4107 was amended in 1990 to allow Federal agencies to train in mission-critical situations without regard to the general academic degree constraint. Agencies have the authority to provide training to attain an academic degree when it will aid in the recruitment or retention of employees in occupations in which the Government has or expects a shortage of qualified personnel, especially in occupations involving critical skills. Agencies must follow the regulations in 5 C.F.R. §410.308(b) (1997) when implementing this exception to the prohibition on academic degree training, including training for personnel in acquisition positions.