Workforce
Gen Z thinks government should solve societal issues. Is it ready to hire them?
The workforce’s youngest generation has a desire to address major problems. This creates a unique opportunity for state and local governments.
Small towns are paying remote workers to move in
With remote work apparently here to stay, rural communities are trying to attract new residents with everything from cash to potlucks, and farm-fresh eggs.
What is generative AI? Most of the public sector workforce doesn’t know
A recent survey found that only about a third understands the technology, and that even fewer use it daily. But a few basic approaches could change that, experts say.
Skills-based hiring smashes through ‘paper ceiling’
Multiple states have embraced a movement to drop degree requirements for certain jobs. But the change is not as simple as a stroke of a pen.
Stackable certificates could be a lifeline for governments facing an IT talent crisis
COMMENTARY | In an era of breakneck digital transformation, this incremental and cumulative approach to upskilling could be the answer to states and localities' hiring woes.
How Connecticut is developing untapped talent to fill 30,000 open jobs statewide
COMMENTARY | Three strategies bring together employers, community organizations and education providers in a new skills-based ecosystem.
Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses
The rule would cover 35 million workers whose jobs include being in the heat and require activities that could raise core body temperatures, like construction, agriculture and landscaping, as well as those in indoor environments, like kitchen workers.
Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data
Nearly half of government workers experiencing burnout said the main cause is their workload, followed by staff shortages and managing personal and professional life, both at 44%.
Feds invest $60M to boost local climate resilience, workforce development
The Climate-Ready Workforce initiative looks to place individuals in good-paying jobs that help advance coastal communities’ climate resilience.
Work permits: A readily-implemented lever for reducing illegal child labor
COMMENTARY | New research shows that the work permits process plays a vital role in preventing child labor violations because it educates children, parents and employers about the law.
Featured eBooks
This Montana school solved its teacher shortage by opening a day care
On-site day cares are being used as a recruitment tool. Turns out, they help more than just the teachers.
Survey: More college grads want to work in government
COMMENTARY | Compared to 2023, more graduating college students are applying for jobs in the public sector. The survey also found key takeaways that will help governments become employers of choice.
A new initiative looks to combine child care and care for older adults under one roof
As child care and long-term care facilities face critical shortages, a grant program in Nebraska seeks to incentivize nursing homes to offer both services in the same building.
Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines
America is facing a shortage of social workers and other mental health providers.
Can a ‘sprint’ to a medical emergency solve states’ EMS shortages?
Minnesota lawmakers have approved a so-called sprint paramedic program to confront the state's worsening rural emergency response.
Considering skills-based hiring? Resource hub helps agencies move from concept to practice
The STARs Public Sector Hub will offer data, research and collaborative resources to help governments implement skills-based hiring.
As a key labor union pushes into the South, red states push back
Republican lawmakers have passed new laws on union elections for companies that receive state incentives.
With the rise of AI, workforce planning is critical. But many governments don’t do it.
That’s a problem when state and local government officials are seeing daily evidence that the nature of their workforce is quickly changing.
Microchip companies need federal grant money. They’re rolling out child care to get it.
To draw women into the semiconductor and construction industries, the CHIPS Act requires companies to provide child care. But will it boost the supply of care, or exacerbate an existing crisis?
Celebrating Public Service—and Public Servants
COMMENTARY | Government is asked to solve our toughest and most intractable problems. That’s why we need to celebrate the people who make a difference through government service.
