Phoenix, AZ

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Economist magazine published an article, "Public Service Careers: A tough search for talent," about the growing need for educating a new generation of public leaders. View the article: http://bit.ly/4FlzZN

Below is a response to the story from Debra Friedman, University Vice President and Dean of the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University.

"Kudos to The Economist for its focus on the looming – but largely hidden -- crisis in social and civic service leadership.

U.S. Officials warn of a federal brain drain, with nearly 61 percent of the 1.8 million civilian federal workforce eligible to retire over the next seven years. [1] But despite Congressionally mandated succession planning for federal workers in 2004, progress has been slow and the record of success across agencies is mixed. [2]

State and municipal governments are facing similar challenges with fewer young professionals in line and prepared to assume critical leadership roles. More than 2.8 million, or 35 percent, of the eight million state and local government workers (excluding education and hospitals) are over the age of 50 and on the cusp of retirement. [3] This inevitable exodus means the overall quality of life in communities throughout the nation may well suffer from an inability to meet urgent public needs. It also means that attracting bright and talented college graduates to public service is a critical business issue for all levels of government.

Government is not the only sector struggling with preparation for future staffing shortfalls. Nonprofit organizations face a potentially devastating shift over the next decade as experienced executives and managers transition into retirement. A 2006 national survey projected that 640,000 senior positions in the nation's nonprofit sector will need to be filled between 2006 and 2016. [4] Losing nonprofit leadership affects government and the private sector in that nonprofits have increasingly become the collaborative bridge between the two, bringing resources to unmet needs within communities.

An example of a way to inform the public dialogue about the importance of filling positions left by the dedicated corps of government and nonprofit employees is Arizona State University's Spirit of Service Scholars initiative. Link: http://bit.ly/10sMqH

While younger generations are passionate about contributing to a smarter and more sustainable society, few are investing in the education necessary to prepare for careers that will have impact, largely because no one is articulating the benefits and rewards of public life or the range of disciplines represented in both government and nonprofit employment. This is why we must raise the celebrity of a career in service in order to dispel the myriad myths surrounding work in the public and social sectors.

Best regards,

Debra Friedman

University Vice President and Dean of the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University

Corey Schubert

Manager of Media Communications

ASU College of Public Programs

Phoenix, AZ

602.496.0406

First Url: Response to 'The Economist'

Second Url: Economist article