Lack of Training to Hinder Government Services

Boomer Exodus Fallout: If you think government services are bad now, listen up: Things are about to get even worse as baby boomers retire from the workforce. According to the International Public Management Association for Human Resources, most public-sector organizations are doing a poor job of assessing the skills gaps likely to result from a mass exodus of aging workers. “Most organizations remain reactive at best in their efforts to monitor their workforces,” including how many employees are eligible for retirement to the recruiting costs of filling vacancies. The Arlington, Virginia-based IPMHA notes that 32 percent of public sector organizations “do not know the average time to fill” vacant jobs. Only 12 percent cite departments that deliver public services as being ready for this demographic shift. Also, organizations will have to “make adjustments to better serve bilingual populations, citizens with a higher expectation for service, and older citizens” who require more services than before, accentuating the need for more and better training initiatives by public agencies.