The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in partnership with other federal agencies, has launched the United States Tech Force, a recruiting platform to attract technology staffers to work for the federal government.
The recruits would work on “mission-critical” initiatives at the departments of State, Agriculture, Defense, Transportation, Energy, Veterans Affairs and elsewhere, according to an OPM media release. The recruitment is being led by OPM, the General Services Administration, the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“This is a clarion call,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. “If you want to help your country lead in the age of rapid technological advancement, we need you. Tech Force offers the chance to build and lead projects of national importance, while creating powerful career opportunities in both public service and the private sector.”
Tech Force is structured as a two-year program where participants, working with agencies and in collaboration with private-sector technology partners, gain technical training.
The second Trump administration has embraced AI technology and its advancement, citing a desire to stay ahead of China on this seminal economic development and national security issue. In July, the White House released “America’s AI Action Plan,” and earlier this month the president signed an executive order giving the U.S. attorney general the ability to sue states that enact laws to limit the use of AI.
It’s not entirely clear how depleted the federal government’s technology ranks may be. In March, some 70 researchers, product managers and others at 18F consultancy were notified of their termination. The staff reduction was led by the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which eliminated thousands of jobs in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, about 20 staffers from U.S. Digital Service, a part of the Office of Management and Budget within the Office of the President, walked off the job rather than become part of the DOGE team. To date, some 317,000 federal employees have departed as a result of firings, resignations, retirements or other means, according to a report by Bloomberg News.
Major technology companies like Amazon Web Services, Apple, Nvidia, IBM, Meta, Dell Technologies, Google Public Sector and others have already announced partnerships with Tech Force.
“Tech Force will be a true force multiplier, creating a pathway to bring in top private-sector talent to help drive a new era of American AI leadership inside the federal government and deliver for the American taxpayers,” Josh Gruenbaum, Federal Acquisition Service commissioner, said in a statement.
