The Association for Talent Development's new research found that more than 75 percent of TD professionals believe that federal, state, and local government employees are facing a skills gap.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- New research by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) revealed that 76 percent of talent development (TD) professionals think there is currently a skills gap in the government workforce and 78 percent expect a skills gap in the government workforce in the future.
Government TD employees believe the top three skills lacking in the workforce include "managerial and supervisory, project management, and critical thinking," according to ATD's Bridging the Government Employee Skills Gap: Top Skills to Focus on Improving research report, sponsored by Cornerstone.
About three-quarters of government TD professionals believe government employees will continue to experience a skills gap in the future, mostly in the areas of critical thinking, project management, and leadership. "Four in five federal TD employees expect there to be a future skills gap, and nearly 80 percent of local and state TD employees expect a future skills gap," according to the report.
Key findings from the report include:
- Seventy-two percent of government agencies are using live, instructor-led traditional classroom training to bridge skills gaps.
- Sixty-six percent of government agencies are using coaching to bridge skills gaps.
- Federal government agencies are more likely to use mentoring and rotation training programs than state and local agencies.
"The report found that fewer than half of government agencies are assessing current gaps and creating plans to address their most critical needs," the report said.
ATD surveyed 227 talent development professionals (in September – December 2024) to discover the current and future skills gaps government agencies are facing. The report focuses on the top skills gaps that government agencies are currently facing and asks if they expect to continue facing them. The second part of the report highlights the methods government agencies are using to fill those gaps.
ATD is hosting a free webinar about the report on April 17 at 2 p.m. ET.
About ATD
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world's largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD).
ATD's members come from more than 100 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports TD professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led US chapters and international member networks and with international strategic partners.
For more information, visit td.org.
Media Contact
Paula Ketter, Association for Talent Development, 703.683.8100, [email protected], td.org
SOURCE Association for Talent Development
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