The chair of the Senate federal workforce subcommittee stated his intention at a recent hearing to re-introduce legislation intended to develop the national security workforce.
At a hearing to examine current and proposed national security rotation programs, implementation challenges of creating such programs, and recommendations to improve on existing efforts, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, noted that about 90 percent of senior executives government-wide will be eligible to retire within 10 years and warned of a drain on the intelligence workforce.
He spoke in favor of rotational programs to improve government coordination and integration similar to the intelligence community’s existing joint duty assignment program and the national security professional development program.
Akaka also called for stronger student loan repayment programs to help with recruitment. "We must make sure agencies prioritize investing in this workforce and that they have funds to do so," said Akaka, noting that agencies often neglect the program due to competing priorities even though the program is effective.
The upcoming legislation will likely include provisions detailing national security fellowships to support graduate students to help attract and develop national security leaders.
Akaka said at the hearing that fellowships could be targeted to help fill critical national security skills gaps, for example by focusing on graduate students pursuing studies in foreign languages, science, mathematics, engineering, and international fields.
Finally, Akaka said agencies should be required to improve strategic workforce planning to ensure that they have the workforce needed to meet national security objectives.
