The workforce of the U.S. government is aging. Today, just 7 percent of permanent full-time federal employees are younger than 30 compared with 20 percent in the broader labor market. Meanwhile, 31 percent of all government employees are eligible to retire by 2025. Young people are keen. They are not the problem. Federal leaders should pay more attention to hiring young people to sustain the workforce, and some managers have a tendency to hire for experience instead of building the talent bench. Recruiting on college campuses is suboptimal. Individuals younger than 30 who do apply are discouraged by lengthy and convoluted hiring processes and a pay system that is outdated.
Hutzell: Could artificial intelligence hold the key to saving the Chesapeake Bay?
Your body mass index is a calculation of your health based on a simple calculation using your height and weight. Now, imagine a far more complex bit of math. This one uses layers of equations to sort 30 million data points instead of just two. To help, you get to use powerful computer systems once available only to government agencies or to well-funded researchers. Right now, an increasing number of scientists around the Chesapeake Bay are doing just that, using artificial intelligence to answer huge environmental questions that define the future of a watershed where more than 18 million live across six states.