In a move to strengthen K-12 computer science education, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded two non-profits nearly $1 million to increase computer science education throughout the state of Tennessee. […]

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) should develop and implement a process for collecting and sharing lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform hiring during future emergencies, and share these lessons governmentwide, the Government Accountability Office urged in a new report. […]

The President’s Management Council, in partnership with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and General Services Administration, launched the first government-wide pulse survey to gain a better understanding of how Federal employees feel about employee engagement, inclusion, and return to their offices. […]

Following several Federal initiatives published this year such as the National Security Strategic Guidance and Cybersecurity Executive Order, greater collaboration between the public and private sectors is critical to better understand and manage risk. […]

Federal and state CIOs shared pandemic lessons and their thinking about return-to-office strategies during an October 19 panel discussion at the Dell Technologies Forum online event. […]

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS) is set to kick off on November 15 with around 150 positions to start with, Angela Bailey, DHS’ chief human capital officer, said Oct. 20 during the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Cybersecurity Summit. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive shift in the Federal workplace, first pushing the majority of the workforce to virtual environments, and then leading to the rise of hybrid environments. Robin Carnahan, General Services Administration (GSA) administrator, said this week the time is now to reimagine how people work. […]

The Senate Appropriations Committee is lending its tacit support for President Biden’s proposed 2.7 percent pay increase for Federal employees in 2022, according to appropriations legislation released by the committee this week. […]

Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., are calling for the Biden administration to work with Federal agencies to ensure they have the necessary workforce data to fulfill President Biden’s day one executive order on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” […]

While increasing workforce diversity is a top focus for many Federal agencies, Deputy Federal CIO Maria Roat and Marine Corps Deputy CIO Renata Spinks stressed this week that diversity must include diversity of thought, not just diversity of culture. […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking for new solutions that incorporate biometric technology to help monitor its employees’ health and stress levels from work and at home, according to a request for information (RFI) posted on SAM.gov. […]

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on October 6 to advance three Biden administration nominations to the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB). The committee’s action sends the nominations to the full Senate for consideration. […]

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has successfully enrolled all Department of Defense (DoD) service members, civilians, and contractors with a security clearance, meaning that 3.6 million people are now in DCSA’s continuous vetting program. […]

All civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) have until November 22 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new memo from Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. […]

The Federal government is failing to attract young talent and will need to quickly replace a huge wave of retiring employees within the next few years, according to Kiran Ahuja, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Don Beyer, D-Va. […]

Federal and private sector leaders discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has changed traditional workplace expectations, and how agencies can maintain team culture and continue upskilling their employees, during a September 30 MeriTalk webinar. […]

The House of Representatives voted Sept. 30 to pass H.R. 3533, a bill that would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create an occupational series for Federal government software and data positions. […]

Federal CIO Clare Martorana and General Services Administration (GSA) head Robin Carnahan both delivered strong pitches this week to prospective Federal IT employees by emphasizing the importance of the government’s citizen service mission. […]

The House of Representatives passed the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act Sept. 29 by an overwhelming 410-15 margin. If approved by the Senate and enacted, the bill would create a cybersecurity personnel rotation program for Federal employees. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has partnered with Girls Who Code (GWC) to develop pathways for young women to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology, the agency announced Sept. 30. […]

The newly established U.S. Space Force is building its workforce and develop its people, while primarily looking for people that have science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) backgrounds, Chief of Space Operations for the Space Force Gen. John Raymond today. […]

Federal government contractors and subcontractors are facing a deadline of Dec. 8 to get their employees fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus – subject to a list of exceptions that include medical conditions and religious beliefs – with an additional 60-day extension of the compliance window possible in the case of “urgent” contract needs. […]

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $73 million in cooperative agreements to 10 awardees as a part of its Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (PHIT Workforce Program). […]

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) now supports Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s, D-Ca., National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment that would create a Civilian Cyber Reserve at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), AFGE announced in a follow-up letter on Sept. 18. […]

A recent survey by OneSignal found that nearly 70 percent of parents found that digital communication methods with educators and administrators was either less time consuming or about the same as phone or in-person meetings. […]

The Army Futures Command’s Army Software Factory – established in 2020 with a goal of developing capabilities to create custom-built system applications for current and future U.S. Army systems – is ramping up its workforce with several cohorts already introduced to the program, a factory official explained at a September 14 virtual conference organized by FCW. […]

Federal employees have until Nov. 22 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to new guidance this week from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. […]

A recent report by the Aspen Institute found that despite existing efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the cybersecurity field remains mostly homogenous among technical practitioners and policy thinkers. […]

While the White House’s September 9 executive order makes clear that employees of Federal government contractors will be covered by an updated coronavirus vaccine mandate, the exact details of that requirement may not be learned until later this month when the government’s Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issues more precise information. […]

With this year’s $1 billion infusion into the Technology Modernization Fund – and possibly more funding on the way – government agencies have the unique opportunity to get their workforce up to speed on the latest tools and technologies available. But what resources exist to help government leaders meet the workforce education mission? […]