Workforce and People

Layoffs and other workforce reductions have marked auto industry headlines in recent months, despite increased vehicle sales last year and even more forecasted growth in 2024.

As the need for skilled tech workers skyrockets, former federal CIO Suzette Kent argues organizations including state and local governments should start recruiting from less traditional pipelines.

The tool is integrated into the state’s job and training hub, and offers users personalized services to connect them with a career path that aligns with their skill set. It follows legislative action by the governor to lessen unemployment numbers.

Work is well underway in jurisdictions across the country to prepare for the next generation of doing the public’s business.

The department went live Monday with Frances Online, a claims processing solution replacing a COBOL-based legacy system. Officials acknowledged some callers have experienced long hold times but said the replacement is “working well” for most.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers released a report Wednesday examining data literacy in state government. All state employees must have a “certain minimum level of understanding of data,” it said.

More technology companies are looking to sever ties with employees, impacting hundreds of workers in Northern California. The cuts, however, are not as numerous as in 2023.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget lacks funding for the Telework Compliance Office. The office’s future, and that of the telework data dashboard — a comprehensive picture of remote work at the state — are uncertain.

Speakers said AI will be part of many people's jobs, and they stressed the importance of prioritizing AI in the classroom so as not to create a new "digital divide" between students who do and don't know how to use it.

CTO Chris Rein discusses the work of adjusting to a fast-evolving tech environment, as well as the progress his state has made on identity access and management, mainframe as a service and data sharing.

The role comes with a $210,000 salary and would report to the CIO. The CTO would focus on closing technical gaps and improving state systems.

The new hardware will replace a COBOL-based platform with a more responsive, secure solution from Fast Enterprises. It is expected to enable the Oregon Employment Department to quickly adapt to shifts in federal benefits.

Australia-based Pulse focuses on public-sector human resources management. Springbrook will use the tech to help local governments better manage hiring and onboarding, in a time of gov tech staffing shortages.

During the time that Nevada CIO Timothy Galluzi has been serving in the CIO role, he has witnessed the value of collaboration and partnership in guiding state IT. Galluzi has been the state’s IT leader since 2022.

The Kettering Police Department, outside Dayton, Ohio, will dramatically increase its use of automated license plate readers this year. Capacity is expected to rise by 300 percent.

Cisco Systems, in a fresh bout of layoffs, has revealed plans to slash more than 700 tech jobs, an ominous hint that the industry’s post-coronavirus economic maladies have yet to abate.

Microsoft Azure now offers Azure OpenAI Service. A company executive described how governments might use it, and what that could mean for staff workloads.

Career training facilities like Northland Workforce Training Center are catering to student and employer needs, inspiring colleges and universities to offer short-term certifications to compete.