Workforce and People

The Maryland Department of Information Technology has hired four executives for new tech roles, including its first-ever chief technology officer. The state has also hired a new chief information security officer.

Jayson Cavendish had been filling in as the state’s CSO for months. He’s been officially been appointed the duties that used to belong to current Michigan CIO Laura Clark.

Wisconsin will be getting a new CISO following the departure of Alan Greenberg, who held the position since May 2021. The state has released few details about the reason for the staffing change.

In the most recent spate of Silicon Valley job cuts, four different tech companies have revealed plans to chop a combined 211 jobs across the Bay Area. Nearly 250 banking jobs are also on the block.

While stressed-out cybersecurity staff is not a new issue, there are steps leadership can take to mitigate ongoing issues that may lead to staffing vacancies.

From reskilling non-traditional IT hires to eliminating degree requirements, state and local governments are putting people's interests and potential before technical experience.

The nonprofit National Institute for Innovation and Technology is working with BOCES and two dozen school districts in the Albany area to upgrade their technical education curricula to suit specific industry needs.

Coming from the private sector, Amaya Capellán says she will look to improve digital experiences for residents as she also seeks to make state government IT a more compelling place to work.

Eager for a chance to prove their value, many public safety agencies are starting with donations and grants to implement new drone programs. The gifts are proving useful to inspire additional funding for devices.

Data from cities, counties and states reveals the roles they have the toughest time filling (and they’re not just in cybersecurity). Here are some of their innovative approaches to navigating these workforce shortages.

On the record: State technology leaders share their pitches to get fresh faces into state and local government IT shops.

The Jacobson Institute at Grand View University announced a partnership with the technology training company SkillStorm to fit regional workers for available positions in growing industry. SkillStorm has similar programs at southern schools.

Some states like Texas, Indiana and Colorado are filling their open positions with innovative programs that point people eager to learn in the direction of government IT.

Some 12 percent of Houston’s workforce is at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence systems in the next five years, according to a recent study from a business research company.

The Technology Association of Georgia is partnering with SkillStorm to help train and upskill tech talent — with a targeted program aimed to support Black Georgians’ entry into the tech field.

Georgia Tech and Southern Regional Technical College are among many partners on a $65 million grant to build a technical workforce training incubator and talent pipeline for autonomous and AI technologies.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has expanded access to a virtual learning platform for those in the state’s correctional facilities to improve the re-entry process and reduce recidivism.

More than a quarter of surveyed workers in professional, scientific and technical services said AI will help more than hurt them. But lower-paid workers with limited contact with AI products are somewhat more wary.