The Mystery of Careers in the Public Sector: Part 1

When my daughters were very young and used to ask what I do at work, I would say I’m a planner. Over the years, their questions changed from “What’s that?” to “Do you plan parties?” to “What do you really do?”

Everyone is familiar with first responders like police officers and firefighters. Most understand that their community has elected leaders. And many are aware that those in public works collect leaves, fix broken water pipes, or inspect buildings. Still, the true breadth of careers in the public sector is not well understood. The public servants focused on ensuring the health and safety of residents and keeping communities attractive and sustainable operate largely unnoticed.

So what are these jobs and how many are there? Public-sector employment in the U.S. accounts for about 15% of total employment. About 64% of government jobs are at the local level, 23% at the state level, and 13% at the federal level. Local education accounts for about one of every three public-sector jobs. The number of government employees varies by community and by state. In Wyoming, about 25% of the workforce is in the public sector, compared to just 12% in Pennsylvania. In Michigan, it is about 14%.

What careers does the public sector offer?

There is a range of career opportunities – public safety, education, legal/courts, elections, public works, libraries, social workers, emergency medical technicians, parks and recreation. There are also many administrative careers in management, human resources, information technology, finance, and of course – planning. All of these are important to ensuring that communities are attractive places to live and establish businesses and deliver the services residents require.

Clinton Township Fire fighters training for medical emergencies

However, with historically low unemployment rates, retirement-eligible employees, and a declining working-age population, the public sector is facing many of the same challenges as the private sector in hiring and retaining a workforce with the right skills and focus on customer service.

Hiring challenges

At a recent SEMCOG General Assembly workshop, we asked our members about the most difficult-to-fill positions, the most important qualifications, greatest challenges in filling positions, and strategies for creating and attracting future employees.

Talent Panel at the SEMCOG General Assembly L to R: Phil Bertolini, Kevin Wilkinson, Robert Cannon, Molly Maciejewski

It was somewhat predictable that police and fire/EMS were the most challenging positions to fill, but surprising that information technology was ranked equally high. In terms of the most important skills/qualifications to local governments, problem solving was identified as the top skill followed by a degree, certificate, or professional credential. When asked for the greatest challenge in recruiting applicants to local government, 50% said it was perception of public-sector pay and benefits, followed by shortage of technical skills and experience.

Expanding the hiring pool

In spite of these challenges, SEMCOG members are being proactive about both creating and attracting future public-sector employees. They are partnering with professional associations and colleges to advertise openings and developing training programs. They are developing local internships by reaching out to schools and colleges to raise awareness and provide work experience for young people who may be interested in public service. Some are also increasing pay and benefits.

To hear more about the actual initiatives that communities in Southeast Michigan are using to raise interest in public service, look for Part 2 of this blog: Public Service – Innovation at Work. It will be posted soon!