Federal Government is Calling All Boomers!
by Nancy Fernandez Mills
It's common practice to knock "government bureaucrats." But the truth is we all rely on experienced public sector workers to keep our federal, state and local systems running. Thousands of Boomers and other mature employees do what is known as "mission critical" government work. But very soon these folks may be "missing in action."
Missing in this case means retired. Unlike many of us in the private sector, long-time government workers qualify for pensions, and within the next five years, a huge number will begin to take them.
In response, group called the Parnership for Public Service is taking action, trying to prevent a potential human resource crisis. As about one third of all federal employees get ready to retire in the next 5 years, the Partnership has launched FedExperience Transitions to Government. The initiative's goal is "to help match government’s critical hiring needs with the talents of baby boomers looking for encore careers where they can find interesting and challenging work."
One of the first agencies to be hit hard with retirements is familiar to all - one that we deal with each Spring - the U.S. Department of Treasury. They will soon be short 14,000 workers, including 7950 IRS Agents and Tax Examiners. Procurement, IT and accounting positions are also on their “most wanted” job list.
One source of trained personnel for the IRS may be IBM, a company on the cutting edge of encouraging Boomers to find Encore Careers. IBM will pilot the Transitions to Government initiative with the Treasury, hoping to identify, recruit, and hire interested IBM employees and retirees and match them to key federal government jobs. For IBM, this pilot represents the next phase of its Global Citizen’s Portfolio and builds on their Transition to Teaching initiative.
The Partnership is also working with AARP, Civic Ventures and others to expand the effort to other agencies and encourage corporate leaders to join.
This summer I took a day cruise to one of the Boston Harbor Islands and thought the tour guide - a National Park Service employee in her late sixties - had a great "encore" job. Working outside on the waterfront, sharing her knowledge of history and nature with others, hiking around in Bermuda shorts every day...sounds ideal! I'm sure the line for those jobs will be a long one, perhaps a bit longer than for those accounting positions at the IRS!
But one thing is certain...there will be federal job openings and they're not all in Washington! Jobs are available all over the country and the world. About 86 percent of federal jobs are located outside of Washington, D.C. and close to 50,000 are located abroad. Areas with highest number of federal workers include New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Norfolk-Virginia Beach and Los Angeles.
To find federal job opportunities go to the Office of Personnel’s website www.USAJOBS.gov.
It's common practice to knock "government bureaucrats." But the truth is we all rely on experienced public sector workers to keep our federal, state and local systems running. Thousands of Boomers and other mature employees do what is known as "mission critical" government work. But very soon these folks may be "missing in action."
Missing in this case means retired. Unlike many of us in the private sector, long-time government workers qualify for pensions, and within the next five years, a huge number will begin to take them.
In response, group called the Parnership for Public Service is taking action, trying to prevent a potential human resource crisis. As about one third of all federal employees get ready to retire in the next 5 years, the Partnership has launched FedExperience Transitions to Government. The initiative's goal is "to help match government’s critical hiring needs with the talents of baby boomers looking for encore careers where they can find interesting and challenging work."
One of the first agencies to be hit hard with retirements is familiar to all - one that we deal with each Spring - the U.S. Department of Treasury. They will soon be short 14,000 workers, including 7950 IRS Agents and Tax Examiners. Procurement, IT and accounting positions are also on their “most wanted” job list.
One source of trained personnel for the IRS may be IBM, a company on the cutting edge of encouraging Boomers to find Encore Careers. IBM will pilot the Transitions to Government initiative with the Treasury, hoping to identify, recruit, and hire interested IBM employees and retirees and match them to key federal government jobs. For IBM, this pilot represents the next phase of its Global Citizen’s Portfolio and builds on their Transition to Teaching initiative.
The Partnership is also working with AARP, Civic Ventures and others to expand the effort to other agencies and encourage corporate leaders to join.
This summer I took a day cruise to one of the Boston Harbor Islands and thought the tour guide - a National Park Service employee in her late sixties - had a great "encore" job. Working outside on the waterfront, sharing her knowledge of history and nature with others, hiking around in Bermuda shorts every day...sounds ideal! I'm sure the line for those jobs will be a long one, perhaps a bit longer than for those accounting positions at the IRS!
But one thing is certain...there will be federal job openings and they're not all in Washington! Jobs are available all over the country and the world. About 86 percent of federal jobs are located outside of Washington, D.C. and close to 50,000 are located abroad. Areas with highest number of federal workers include New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Norfolk-Virginia Beach and Los Angeles.
To find federal job opportunities go to the Office of Personnel’s website www.USAJOBS.gov.
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