Developing the 21 st Century Public Health Workforce

1. Developing the 21st Century Public Health Workforce Alexis Williams-Currie April 14,2012

2. Challenges Facing the Federal Public Health Workforce • Public health workforce shortage. • 25% of the federal public health workforce is eligible for retirement in 2010 (ASPH, 2008). • Employees lost to retirement and turnover are not being replaced. • 4 out of 5 public health workers lack formal public health training (APHA, 2006). • New public health challenges. • Emerging communicable diseases around the world (eg, H1N1, Ebola). • Increased risk for pandemic illnesses due to ease of travel. • Environmental changes and more frequent natural disasters. • Aging population and rise of chronic diseases like diabetes. • Declining funding. • Contributes to lower morale and overworked employees.

3. Strategic workforce development can help address many workforce challenges. • Prepares workers to replace retiring employees. • Increases retention and recruitment. • Creates a more nimble and competent workforce. • Improves ability to respond to new and emerging threats, make use of new technologies and manage change. • Creates a positive work environment based on developing strengths and promoting positive meaning which can improve morale and innovation despite funding shortages. • Makes better use of scarce resources by retaining skilled employees, and reducing recruitment and training costs.

4. Employee Development vs. Training Training improves current performance. Development is preparation for other positions or new positions. • Prepares employees for their current jobs. • Focused on current agency needs. • Often required • Prepares employees for change. • Focused on future agency needs. • Often voluntary.

5. Recommendations for Agency Wide Development Strategies • Externships. Provide employees with opportunities to take full-time, temporary positions at state and local health departments, community based organizations, and health care organizations. • Employees would gain a field perspective and new knowledge and skills. • Provides positive meaning and reinforces the mission of the agency by offering the opportunity to see the impact of the agency’s work at the ground level. • Placement of experienced staff in local agencies can increase the capacity of organizations to use most current public health best-practices. • Increases collaboration and positive relationships between the agency and organizations in the field.

6. Recommendations for Agency Wide Development Strategies • Leadership development for mid-career staff. Identify mid-career staff with leadership potential and provide formal training, mentoring and job enlargement opportunities to prepare them for senior leadership positions. • Increase retention of skilled employees. • Make replacing senior leaders lost to retirement and turnover more efficient. • Shorten the “learning curve” for new senior leaders. • Could increase the number of women, minority and other underrepresented groups in senior leadership positions.

7. Recommendations for Agency Wide Development Strategies • Two-in-a-box job enlargement. Allow two people to share the work of a team lead. • Builds on employee strengths creating a more positive work environment. • Promotes the continuity of agency operations by having two people in a leadership role which improves preparedness for emergency operations. • Can improve morale by making the position of team lead more manageable. • May be more appealing to younger employees which can improve retention and recruitment. • Provides more leadership opportunities for staff.

8. References • APHA. (2006, September). “The public health workforce shortage: Left unchecked will we be protected?” Issue Brief. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/8B9EBDF5-8BE8-482D-A779-7F637456A7C3/0/workforcebrief.pdf • ASPH. (2008, December). “Confronting the public health workforce crisis.” ASPH Policy Brief. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/WorkforceShortage2010Final.pdf • Image of community health worker and client. Retrieved April 14, 2012 from http://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/13725/13725_lores.jpg • Image of health inspector check temperature. Retrieved April 14, 2012 from http://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/13850/13850_lores.jpg • Image of a microbiologist. Retrieved April 14, 2012 from http://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/7989/7989_lores.jpg • Kix, P. (2012). “Who wants to be a manager?” Hemispheres. Retrieved April 14, 2012 from http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/2012/03/01/who-wants-to-be-a-manager • Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. • Pace, A. (2010). Unleashing positivity in the workplace. Training and Development, 64(1), 40–44. • Stolovich, H. (n.d.). “Employee Development.” Walden University.