Contact

Amanda Farnan
Press Secretary
(774) 571–3639
afarnan@ourpublicservice.org

PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE APPLAUDS NEW LEGISLATION TO HELP GOVERNMENT ATTRACT, HIRE AND RETAIN YOUNG FEDERAL WORKERS

August 13, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2018

CONTACT: Onamé Thompson

202-775-6898

PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE APPLAUDS NEW LEGISLATION TO HELP GOVERNMENT ATTRACT, HIRE AND RETAIN
YOUNG FEDERAL WORKERS

WASHINGTON – Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier released the following statement on the enactment of H.R. 5515, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019:

“Today, Congress took an important step toward improving how our government recruits and hires talented students and recent graduates. The federal government’s complex hiring process tends to disadvantage job applicants recently out of school and remains a significant impediment to inspiring the next generation to enter public service. With just six percent of federal employees under the age of 30, compared to 24 percent of the total U.S. workforce, our government is struggling to recruit, hire and retain the talent it desperately needs. By giving highly qualified students and recent graduates a leg up in the hiring process, agencies can begin to close the gap. This reform and others, including direct hire for certain mission-critical positions and greater flexibility for agencies in selecting candidates, are critical to building the government of the future.

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 – the last comprehensive update of the civil service system – Congress and the administration should continue a bipartisan approach to modernizing federal personnel management so that our dedicated public servants are equipped to meet the challenges facing the nation. Looking ahead, focused implementation of these authorities by federal agencies, along with continuing oversight from Congress, will be essential in ensuring they yield the benefits Congress intended.”

Background on H.R. 5515:

The legislation signed today will help agencies fill mission-critical vacancies, build talent pipelines, more easily hire post-secondary students and recent graduates, and exercise greater flexibility in hiring. The legislation also maintains the Defense Department’s position at the forefront of civil service modernization by increasing the number of students and recent graduates it may hire under expedited authority, expanding positions subject to direct hire authority and piloting strategies to promote faster senior executive hiring. Moreover, by giving agencies greater flexibility of their workforce, agencies can better attract, hire and retain young federal workers, resulting in a less cumbersome system and being more in step with a broader job market. 

The Partnership for Public Service and the Volcker Alliance recently embarked on an effort to modernize the civil service system through the Renewing America’s Civil Service initiative. We believe this legislation represents an important step towards broader reform while addressing some of the most pressing challenges of the current system.

During the past 17 years, the Partnership has been dedicated to making the federal government more effective for the American people. We work across administrations to help transform the way government operates by increasing collaboration, accountability, efficiency and innovation. Visit opswebdev.wpengine.com to learn more.

###