According to the Center for State and Local Government Excellence’s Local Government Workforce of Tomorrow report, “Local governments will face significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent in the years ahead as retiring baby boomers are replaced by a workforce that is younger, more diverse, more mobile, and more reliant on information and communication technologies.”  Episode 6 of Local Gov Life explores this issue by asking next-generation leaders and managers about effective ways to attract and retain young talent in local government.

The episode features:

Robert “Bobby” Green, city manager, Auburndale, Florida, was recently awarded a RouteFifty Navigator Award for fostering the next generation of leaders. We explored the work he’s done with young leaders and ICMA’s Student Chapter Program.

The next segment features another local leader who tells how an early mentor inspired him to constantly work with next-generation leaders. Troy Brown, city manager, Tracy, California, shares with us how both the person being coached and the coach benefit by participating in the ICMA Coaching Program.

In this segment of the episode, you’ll hear from an early-career professional, Miranda Lutzow, management analyst, Oakdale, California, who talks about how local governments can attract young professionals.

The episode concludes with Kirsten Wyatt, co-founder and executive director, Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). Wyatt shares the issues she had finding a local government job early in her career, why she started ELGL, and the importance of local governments attracting and hiring a diverse workforce. You can listen to ELGL’s podcast GovLove here.

 

ICMA is currently working to attract young professionals to local government careers through its NextUp initiative. NextUp is a multifaceted approach to developing and growing the local government management profession, those who aspire to serve in leadership roles, and the organizations and communities they serve. Learn more here.

 

Listen to all the episodes here.