Expanded ‘G2U Initiative’ Strives to Bring More University Students into Public Service
The Volker Alliance Government-to-University Initiative is continuing to grow and expand opportunities for universities to collaborate more closely with the federal government. According to the Volker Alliance website, the G2U Initiative is a growing group of vibrant, regional networks connecting local, state, and federal government leaders with key faculty and administrators from surrounding colleges and universities. This collaboration is beneficial because these universities can serve as a pipeline that connects government’s hiring and research needs with local university capacity.
A 2020 report from the Senior Executives Association (SEA) and the Center for Organizational Excellence found that the government is no longer considered an “inspirational employer” by many young people. Approximately 2% of the federal IT workforce in under 30 years old, and the demographic over age 55 has increased 83% over the past 20 years.
The G2U program takes crucial steps to hire and retain young people in government.
Thomas W. Ross, President of the Volcker Alliance, said of the expansion of G2U to new cities, “The expansion of G2U to Chicago and North Carolina will provide for collaboration and learning across the G2U network at a time when universities, governments, and the job market are undergoing massive transformations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The enthusiasm from partners in government, universities, and the civic sector in regions across the country illustrates the promise and power of G2U collaborations in reshaping the future of government.”
In Chicago, the G2U Regional Council will be led by the Government College Relations Council (GCRC) and in North Carolina, the Volcker Alliance is partnering with the Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) within the Governor’s Office/Office of State Budget and Management.
Jenni Owen, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the State of North Carolina, said of the G2U expansion, “We are excited to join the G2U network and have already seen how our focus on strengthening the talent pipeline to state government aligns with the work of other G2U sites. We look forward to sharing our partnership strategies that are yielding benefits for North Carolina and learning from the approaches of other network members.”
Last August, FEDtalk featured Thomas Ross from the Volker Alliance and other groups focusing on attracting young people to public service.
