The need for a strong, robust public sector to perform the core, essential functions of government couldn’t be more clear. Yet after a decade plus of austerity budgeting, we have depleted our public sector workforce through job loss and attrition, all while missing an opportunity to recruit and retain the next generation of public employees. We should leverage the human capital of our public universities and create a pipeline to our public sector, especially for emerging jobs and careers in the 21st century. 

We need talented people teaching our children, filing our taxes, running our transit systems, and the myriad of other functions that public servants perform. Government careers can provide a pathway to the middle class for students from all walks of life with their relative job security and pensions and healthcare benefits.