Technology advances, especially in artificial intelligence (AI), have put a spotlight on technical skills gaps across the workforce. This is of particular concern amid growing cybersecurity threats and budgetary challenges for Federal agencies.
Technical skills deficiencies exist throughout the U.S. labor market, according to research from the National Skills Coalition. The research found that 92 percent of U.S. jobs now require digital skills, but a third of workers have a low level of digital skills, or none at all.
In the Federal government, skills gaps contribute to 22 of the 37 problem areas identified in the Government Accountability Office’s high-risk list. Skills gaps exist across technology, engineering, cybersecurity, science and other areas, GAO noted.
Government and industry must work together to ensure that Federal employees – and the contractors who serve them – can take advantage of technology education and other workforce development programs, industry executives recommended in a recent discussion.
Jennifer Krischer, vice president for defense intelligence at GDIT, said during the session that the company is seeking to bring technology to bear to help the government solve these and other problems. “The defense and intelligence sectors and the federal government itself are facing significant challenges, whether they be budgetary or cyber threats,” she said.
“Technology is changing so quickly, and the workforce has to change along with it,” added Kevin Seeley, vice president for strategic programs for military and Federal health at GDIT and former deputy CIO with the Defense Health Agency. “It is imperative to help the staff develop their technology skills and keep a pipeline of recruits coming in.”
GDIT launched its Digital Accelerators initiative in 2022 to provide solutions to government and build workforce expertise around technologies for mission applications such as AI, zero trust, 5G, and most recently, digital engineering. More than 20,000 GDIT employees have been trained on the initiative.
“Our job as a company is to stay relevant, whether it’s bringing technology to our customers through accelerators or preparing our own workforce for what’s next,” said Garrett Yee, vice president, defense customer engagement, at GDIT and a retired U.S. Army major general.
In response to the growing concern about technology skills development, the government has amped up workforce development programs and efforts to train the future workforce, along with identifying current staff with AI and other skills. For example, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Data Science Corps seeks to expand data-science skills by bringing students and local organizations together to use available data to solve community problems.
The DOD SkillBridge project also plays a role, helping service members service members gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of service.
Technology Helps Agencies Do More With Less
While agencies grapple with talent gaps, they also face budget gaps – and frequently, budget reductions. Technology can help them overcome both financial and personnel gaps, experts noted. For example:
- Optimizing networks with zero trust and other frameworks can create efficiencies that reduce budgetary concerns and improve security, Yee noted
- Platforms that enable agencies to integrate the technologies they’ve already invested in conserve budget and save time
- Emerging technologies reduce the workload of overstretched IT teams. For example, predictive analytics and automation can identify maintenance, security, and other issues and fix them without human intervention – before they become major problems. Essentially, the technology creates a self-healing network, Seeley said
For more on overcoming skills gaps and other Federal IT challenges, listen to the discussion.