If the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit
committed to promoting government service had its hopes
up for the so-called “class of 9/11,” a survey of 805
recent college grads may send it back to the drawing
board.
While 43 percent said the events of 9/11 made them more
patriotic, just 20 percent of those respondents said it
made them more interested in government service — about
70 out of the group.
About 60 percent do not feel obligated “to do more to
help fight the war on terror,” and most are preoccupied
with finding a job and debt.
“We need a new call to public service, one that balances
young people’s patriotism with two factors that are just
as important to them: pay and prestige,” said Max Stier,
president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.
He said the patriotism is there, but government recruiters
need to tap into it by showing how government work could
actually make a difference for communities and the country.
An earlier poll of college students found that those most
interested in public service more often pursue jobs at
specialized nonprofits rather than the government.