Opinion: To recharge the country, Biden should give 1 million college students paid gov... - 0 views
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Politics US Biden policy pandemic Culture crisis history college students future-generation change
shared by aidenborst on 04 Jan 21
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There are 16 million college students in America. These young people hold the promise of being our next generation of innovators and leaders. But once they graduate, they face student debt repayments and a labor market that has been ravaged by the pandemic.
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Over the next four years, our country can give 1 million college students a paid internship in federal, state or municipal government, plus a chance to compete for a college scholarship in exchange for their service.
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Pew polling shows trust in government at near-record lows, and interest in public service is also eroding. America's poor response to the pandemic and concerns about the abuse of executive power have driven many young prospects away.
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Analysis of government data shows that just 6.7% of federal employees are under the age of 30 — compared with 20.6% of those in the employed labor force. That's even more problematic when you consider that about one-third of federal workers will be eligible to retire in the next five years.
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We need talented young folks in government, not only to replace those coming to the end of their careers of service, but also to bring new skills that will help the country confront a wide array of public challenges and opportunities.
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The administration should greatly expand its efforts to encourage talented college students to apply for paid internships at government entities.
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The program could include a mentorship component, pairing experienced leaders with prospective new talent, aimed at guiding participants in their work and encouraging and helping them pursue a career in public service
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For the duration of the administration, the government could arrange about 20,000 internships a month at a time — for example, 400 dedicated to federal, state or city government in each state if distributed evenly.
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Third, given their prior experience, participants in the internship program could have fast-tracked access to compelling projects upon completion of their college degrees
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The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service would provide initial staff and infrastructure to help facilitate the recruitment, selection and matching operations for the federal component to ensure that participants are placed in internships.
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Challenges like protecting the population against pandemics and unwinding centuries of racial injustice will not be solved in the span of a single presidency, or even within a single generation. To tackle these and other challenges, the American government — and its ability to attract innovative talent — has to be built for the long haul. And we have to start building it now.