The current shutdown is expected to exacerbate the brain drain facing the government as the IT workforce grows older and agencies struggle to bring on the next generation of tech talent, according to federal tech experts.
Agencies are shuttered right in the middle of recruitment season for the next batch of computer science and engineering graduates, which means they can’t attend job fairs and campus events to scoop up the best and brightest. And as demand for private sector techies grows and a sizable chunk of the government’s tech workforce nears retirement, the shutdown could also push many current feds to seek greener pastures.
The impact would likely be greatest among the most high-skilled employees and potential new hires, who have a plethora of job opportunities outside government, said Dave Mihelcic, the former chief technology officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency. As the shutdown strips away many of the perks that attract people to civil service, private sector jobs will look more enticing for the most talented technologists.
Read more at Nextgov.
