Federal Government Information Technology

Retaining and sustaining tech talent post-Trump

GCN: Organizations dedicated to civic technology that formed under President Barack Obama, such as 18F or the U.S. Digital Service, have been magnets for tech talent. With the uncertainty surrounding the policies of the incoming Trump administration, however, it is far from clear whether the federal government’s digital professionals will leave, stay or shift to working in state or local government.

“I think that a lot of them will [stay], not all of them,” Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director at Code for America, told GCN. Some will stay simply because they want government to work well, regardless of who is in office, she said.

And while Pahlka helped launch the USDS during her own stint in the federal government, Code for America has always focused on technology to help state and local agencies. She said change agents looking to leave Washington but continue this kind of work could find fantastic opportunities in other levels of government.

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