Workforce and People

The U.S. Department of Energy is investing a combined $72 million in five new industrial technology centers and various other programs to train new workers for advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries.

Officials revamped workforce efforts by implementing new virtual training models, creating digital literacy programs and designing a data-centered platform to connect users with job opportunities based on work history and skill sets.

Michigan launched the EV Scholars program, a $10,000 scholarship for students who accept job offers as electric engineers or software developers at 15 companies partnering with the state, to staff growing industries.

In the wake of recent news of Washington, D.C., former Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff John Falcicchio’s sudden resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, Mayor Muriel Bowser has named staff to fill openings.

As key employees depart the New York Office of Information Technology Services, new hires have been announced. The agency now needs to fill its CTO and CIO positions.

Micron Technology expects to need 1,000 technicians and 1,000 engineers to operate each of four planned chip-fab facilities in Clay, New York, and area colleges are gearing their courses to help fill those positions.

New York City’s inaugural class of Cyber Academy graduates have completed their training. City employees across 21 agencies completed the first cohort and will bring new skills to better defend the city against cyber threats.

Bill Vajda is the new director of a cybersecurity institute in Michigan after serving as CIO for the states of Wyoming and Alaska. He is returning to Marquette, where he once served as city manager.

A newly released report from the Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute highlights just how disruptive the quickly evolving technology is — and will continue to be — in our daily lives.

James Farrell, CIO of Bolingbrook, Ill., outside Chicago, on his city's new chatbot, the importance of working with other jurisdictions and how he gets staff excited about tech projects.

Chris Stewart has moved to an executive advisory role as Kerrica Laake moves into an interim leadership role. The city has also brought its cybersecurity leadership into the central IT department.

There are still far more questions than answers about what the rapidly evolving technology will mean for the lives of everyday people when it comes to how we work, learn and use the Internet.

MaineIT's executive director of client and infrastructure services, Nick Marquis, will serve as CIO on an interim basis while a permanent replacement is found.

Dr. James Smith Jr., who brings years of expertise in data security and web architecture, will replace Brandee Ganz following her appointment to the chief administrative officer position earlier this month.

Riverland Community College in Minnesota is building capacity to train technicians in manufacturing and logistics, as well as launching a new robotics certificate program and planning a robotics degree in the future.

After 20 years of what appeared to be unstoppable growth, America’s tech industry has spent the past year underperforming the rest of the economy, with product failures in new industries like VR and cryptocurrency.

As states ready plans for year one of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and look ahead to year two’s NOFO, local governments should advocate for what they want. High on those lists: MFA, threat monitoring and cyber training.