The eight contractor-operated National Nuclear Security
Administration weapons facilities generally have developed
and implemented a multifaceted approach to recruit and
retain critically skilled workers, the Government
Accountability Office has said.
It said many of the scientists, engineers and technicians
charged with ensuring the safety and reliability of the
nuclear weapons stockpile — 37 percent of whom are in
retirement territory – have the critical skills needed
to do so.
The contractors have similar personnel management styles
as six organizations GAO studied that have comparable
workforces. All of them offer internships and provide
“knowledge transfer opportunities,” according to GAO-05-164.
It said the agency has supported the contractors with
funding to help them recruit workers to fill critical
positions, which all eight facilities did from fiscal
2000 to 2003 — and that they generally incorporate
principles essential to strategic workforce planning.
The contractors and organizations GAO spoke with need to
overcome the lengthy security clearance process and a
“shrinking pool of technically trained potential
employees,” but the contractor program managers said they
are confident they can maintain the critically skilled
workforce needed to carry out their missions, according to GAO.