Workforce Solutions for Public-Sector Employers

Amid economic uncertainty and a persistently tight labor market, public-sector employers like state and local government agencies often find themselves at a disadvantage in their attempts to close the talent gap and compete with their private-sector counterparts.  

Public-sector employers face a number of unique workforce development challenges:

  • An unprecedented rise in private-sector wages has drawn people away from government jobs.

  • More civil servants are retiring early in what’s been called a “silver tsunami” that is depleting the public-sector workforce. More than half of the respondents to a 2023 state and local workforce survey said the largest anticipated number of potential retirements will take place over the next few years.1

  • The need for public sector workers has steadily increased over the past several years due to expanded government mandates and funding, such as that stimulated by the American Rescue Plan Act, resulting in a rapid rise in the number of government jobs needing to be filled.

  • The lengthy hiring processes used by many public-sector employers may make it harder to attract and hire needed talent.

Powered by the experience and nationwide presence of DeVry University, DeVryWorks partners with operational and HR leaders to develop custom-tailored learning pathways in information technology and security, operations and supply chain management, accounting and finance, and team leadership. We can develop the right workforce training solutions, when and where they’re needed, to help public-sector employers close the talent gap, level the playing field with the private sector and meet the challenges of today’s evolving technological environment.

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Talent acquisition: The solutions you need here and now

Acquiring the right talent to fill existing and predicted demand can be a particularly challenging aspect of workforce development for public sector employers. Expanded budgets and new laws can create new positions and the need to hire for them, but the realities of competing with the private sector remain. An insufficient number of qualified applicants can lead to the need to re-open recruitments, further extending an often-lengthy time to hire.

We have decades of experience in digital-first education and an extensive student and alumni network of diverse and digitally-fluent talent, making us uniquely qualified to develop your talent acquisition solutions. Our degree and certificate programs are scheduled in 6 academic sessions per year, producing a high volume of graduates. Our national presence allows the use of geotargeting to connect state and local government employers with skilled, work-ready talent where they are needed most.

The rich diversity of the DeVry student and alumni population can also help you to meet the objectives of your DEI initiatives more effectively.   

dei hiring

Skilling solutions: Learning pathways to close gaps and meet future demands

The public sector is certainly not immune to the effects of the growing employee skills gap – the difference between existing competencies and the skills that will be required to meet the future demands of emerging technologies.

At DeVryWorks, we see these gaps as opportunities to develop upskilling and reskilling programs with customized learning pathways to help your people thrive:

  • Upskilling along strategic learning pathways can fill the gaps and keep your employee development plans on track. 


     

  • Reskilling can provide the training employees need to move into a different department or function, filling those gaps and giving you the agility to respond to the demands of new legislative mandates, laws or budgets. 

     

  • Working with external economic development and workforce development agencies, we can develop learning pathways to elevate underrepresented talent, lifting up the chronically underemployed and helping to make them job-ready. 

10Kx25: Help us move 10,000 diverse workers into tech jobs by 2025

At DeVry University, we’re committed to creating more opportunities for underrepresented talent in technology roles. Our goal is to place 10,000 new tech talents in jobs by 2025. We call this bold initiative 10Kx25 and we’d like you to join us. 

Learn More about this game-changing initiative
68% of business leaders report a lack of diversity.

Funding: Unlocking the resources to drive your programs

Our DeVryWorks consultants work diligently to connect government employers and economic development offices with funding for workforce upskilling and reskilling initiatives. We can help you determine what grants may be available and how to apply for them. We then work to minimize the financial impact on both the employer and the employee learner by matching program costs with available funding. 

To avoid skills mismatches in employee training and development, we make sure economic development and workforce development initiatives  are aligned.  Employers’ organization scholarships can lower tuition cost for employee learners and DeVry University Completion Grants  can close the loop, making for a low-cost or no-cost educational experience.

Does your agency offer a tuition benefits program? Our consultants can help fine-tune your plan, leaving behind outdated policies and eligibility criteria, moving your teams forward into the digital age with a program that is accessible, affordable and aligned with your DEI initiatives.

Public sector diverse hiring

Partner With DeVryWorks to Attrack and Educate the Diverse, Skilled Workforce You Need

Whether to meet the demands of new public policy mandates or face the unrelenting challenges of today’s evolving technology landscape, DeVryWorks can help you hire and train the workforce you need. By uncovering new funding sources and configuring customized learning pathways, our consultants can show you how to elevate underutilized talent, close the tech talent gap and create a diverse, skilled 21st-Century workforce. 

1 State and Local Workforce 2023 Survey Findings, Mission Square Research Institute, Public Sector HR Association and NASPE, June 2023.

2 Wiley. (2022). Diversity in Tech 2021 U.S. Report. mthree.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.wiley.com/edge/site/assets/files/2689/diversity_in_tech_2021_us_report_by-mthree.pdf