Forensic Science* Education, Part 2
It's been a really busy month, so I apologize for not being more productive on this platform...
My last post was on forensic science* education and the decades long mismatch between what forensic laboratory directors say thy want in new hires and what forensic science* education has done in response to that. The meeting last month of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Membership Resource Committee, held at the Philadelphia Police Department, resulted in a lot of good, if similar, conversations about the discipline, the profession, and the interstitial issues of education, training, and being a professional. Several good conversations came up after that, some of which I hope to yield beneficial results for all involved and the community.
Some information that I collected in preparation for the meeting might be of use. Be warned: It’s scattered and does not make up a narrative.
From Thompson-Reuters :
In 2021, Gen Z is 2% of the federal workforce but 9% of the total workforce.
In 2029, 30% of federal employees are eligible for retirement, a phenomenon called the “silver tsunami.”
93% of human resources departments report they had to reopen position postings because of a lack of qualified applicants. Of that 93%, 20% said they hired below-grade applicants with the idea of re-skilling them.
Public sector workers under 35 years of age want:
Job security
Work/life balance
Health insurance
Personal job satisfaction
Employers need to stress their organization’s “mission,” [which flies in the face of a forensic scientist* doing objective science while working for a policing organization who wants to “get the bad guy.”]
Recruitment efforts need to be extended beyond USAJobs and LinkedIn.
Gen Z reports an overall existential angst about financials, debt, and the economy overall.
From Centurion Consulting Group:
While the private sector recovered 93% of its workforce post-COVID, the public sector only recovered 53%.
The four trends are:
Up-skilling: New skills, like coding
Thinking beyond traditional benefits: like financial wellness programs
Employee wellness programs: 76% of employees want more diversity in the workplace
Emphasizing the importance of public sector work.
From Governing.com:
Public sector needs to get ahead of AI.
The expectations of employees are changing. The “Great Resignation” is because of younger workers seeking professional and personal growth. Remember, Millenials are 45% of the workforce. This portion of the workforce is comfortable with “people in the loop,” that is, they are tech savvy and do not fear like older generations might. They want flexibility to maximize skills but balance to enjoy life (see previous notes about Gen Z).
“Traditional occupations will be parsed into a set of tasks and subtasks based on solving problems and driving innovation.” At the federal level, contractors outnumber federal employees 2.6:1. Government will become a set of “blended resources”:
Permanent federal workers
Full- and part-time contractors
Digital labor (AI)
Ecosystems (Nonprofits, etc.)
Government ventures (like incubators)
Gig workers
Workforce planning and embracing the cloud will become essential, as government becomes a confluence of big data, AI, and human judgment.
From the Center for State and Local Governments:
Ranking of skills public sector employees need:
74% Critical thinking
68% Interpersonal skills
49% Management
47% Technology
44% Written communications
32% Data management
13% Public speaking
12% Finance
10% Social media
8% Foreign language
Take this mishmash for what you will. I think there are many golden nuggets in here that employers and educators are likely to ignore. “We didn’t do it that way in my day,” “I worked 60 hours a week because I was dedicated,” and “That’s how it was taught to me,” are excuses. The status quo (that is, old folks) have always complained about young people. Always. But I’ll leave you with a truism I learned working at the FBI.
You fall in love with the Bureau. The Bureau does not fall in love with you.