The challenge many agencies are facing when it comes to implementing AI tools into their processes is similar to incorporating zero-trust models. Across an organization, implementing zero trust can sometimes feel like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. Put another way, without the proper skills to establish a zero-trust model, efforts to do so will be stalled. Now, just a short time later, the same can be said for AI.
While there's a collective “fear of missing out” on AI advancements in the public sector, many are unsure where to start. However, AI isn’t the only priority — cybersecurity, including zero trust, remains a top concern. With recent events like the massive Social Security Administration breach, the focus on cyber threats is intensifying, creating a balancing act between implementing AI and addressing immediate security challenges.
TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
At the local and state level, agencies are struggling to attract and retain the right talent to address new and emerging missions, align with the latest technologies, and keep networks and data secure. This is all happening against a backdrop where attrition due to disengagement is a critical issue — if a government staffer wants to become AI-proficient but lacks the opportunity in their current role, they are likely to start looking elsewhere.
To counteract this issue, agencies need to take a holistic approach to workforce development. This comes in many forms, including work that addresses the most critical challenges, leverages best practices to realign the workforce, and builds a culture of continuous learning and upskilling. Agencies that reimagine how they engage in technology will, in turn, empower their teams to more meaningfully engage in their roles.
It’s important for government agencies to recruit individuals with a broad range of problem-solving skills, rather than solely specialized talents. These workforce astronauts are adaptable thinkers who can react instinctively and effectively to unfamiliar challenges. Much like astronauts in space, they can tackle problems beyond their specific expertise and evolve their thinking, making decisions based on current insights rather than being limited by specialization myopia.
Workforces that lack individuals with a broad range of skill sets may fall victim to the Einstellung effect. This means employees may be predisposed to solve problems in familiar ways based on past experience or an outdated skill set, even when better or more appropriate methods exist. Agencies that leverage workforce development programs to keep their teams skilled across a spectrum of emerging technologies are less likely to be undermined by employees making suboptimal decisions.
MAKING EMPLOYEES FEEL SUPPORTED IN THEIR CAREER PROGRESSION
Ultimately, agencies need to implement up-to-date AI training as the technology is growing exponentially. Additionally, cloud enablement remains a significant focus for agencies in the early stages of cloud transformation. By offering learning opportunities in these areas, agencies signal to employees that their growth is valued, which boosts engagement and supports career progression. Engaged employees are more likely to stay, reducing turnover and the costs associated with recruitment and training new hires.
However, there is a caveat — empowering team members without providing sufficient opportunities for advancement can lead to frustration. This is why it’s critical for agencies to view the creation of a continuous culture of learning as a holistic, agencywide effort. Beyond identifying skills gaps and upskilling, fostering this culture includes developing future-ready capabilities for sustained success, promoting learning as a core organizational value, integrating skills through personalized learning plans, and acknowledging and rewarding individual learning achievements.
Tony Holmes is a seasoned technology professional with two decades of experience in the tech world, during which he has worked with some of the world's most forward-thinking technology organizations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, Digital Equipment Corporation, Microsoft Research, Opsware, Hewlett Packard and Oracle. At Pluralsight, Tony is the practice lead for public-sector solutions architects, where he partners with organizations every day to make sure their cybersecurity workforce has the skills it needs to ensure mission success.
