The Need
The federal government is at an employment crossroads.
An unprecedented number of federal government employees are now, or soon will be,
eligible for retirement, leading to what some have identified as a potential "human
capital crisis".
For instance, according to a 2008 report by the Office of Personnel Management, the
independent agency in charge of human resources for the federal government, more than
60 percent of all full-time, permanent federal government employees will be eligible
to retire by 2016. Two agencies that have the highest need for employees are the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD).
DHS will need to hire more than 65,000 people and DoD will need to hire over 43,000
people by the close of 2012, reports the Partnership for Public Service.
Despite the expected talent drain as members of the Baby Boom generation retire,
the federal government's needs and challenges have never been greater. With a
global economy still in shambles, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, continuing threats
from global terrorism, Iran and North Korea pursuing nuclear weapons, nuclear-armed
Pakistan challenged from within, and anti-Americanism on the rise in neighboring Latin
America, the need for the best and brightest to serve in federal government positions -
particularly in the international arena - has never been more critical.
The Robertson Foundation for Government will help fill this need.