VA Prepares to Meet Future Work Force Challenges Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In 1999, one-third of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) work force was over the age of 50 and eligible for retirement.  More than one-half of VA’s senior managers responsible for administering benefits will be eligible for retirement in two years.

VA has to compete with the private sector and other government agencies for the best people, said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel W. Gober.  We’ve developed a strategy that allows us to hire and retain outstanding people to serve veterans and their families.

The question of an aging work force eligible for retirement equally affects VA programs for health care, disability pay, survivors benefits and cemeteries.  Already eligible for retirement are 16 percent of VA’s health care staff, 24 percent of the benefits administration staff, and 22 percent of cemetery directors.  Within two years, 58 percent of the Senior Executive Service members who administer VA’s benefits programs will be eligible for retirement.

To ensure that VA continues to have the work force it needs, Gober created a steering committee to review the skills of the current work force, the requirements and skills of the future work force, work force trends, recruitment and retention strategies, and study the impact of technology.  The strategy that comes out of this process will be the roadmap for building the future of the department.

The department’s 220,000 employees deliver world-class service to veterans and their families, and our goal is continue this service into the future, said Gober.