Workforce and People

Projects announced at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University this week included new workforce training programs as well as cybersecurity education for middle and high schoolers.

The city of San Francisco is making Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat available to roughly 30,000 employees in an effort to improve services while also launching training to support staff use of the technology.

Kathryn Darnall Helms served as chief data officer for six years, during which time she helped establish Oregon's first data strategy. The state is beginning a search for her replacement.

Microsoft Elevate, which the company describes as a successor and expansion of the longtime Microsoft Philanthropies team, will devote resources to helping more than 20 million people earn AI credentials.

Plus, an August broadband summit will convene digital equity stakeholders, the Rural Broadband Protection Act clears the U.S. Senate, New Jersey leverages grant funding to integrate digital literacy training, and more.

The state’s work with the technology company aims to bring artificial intelligence education and real-world innovation to classrooms, communities and industry. It's intended to bring in jobs as well.

A new analysis by Code for America illustrates artificial intelligence readiness in the public sector across three key areas: leadership and governance, capacity building, and technical infrastructure and capabilities.

The state is doing cybersecurity work differently, to keep pace with an evolving IT and security landscape. In-person training exercises and a unique partnership model are helping support statewide readiness.

Its new Chief Information Security Officer Chris Gergen is a native of the Peace Garden State. He has nearly two decades of cybersecurity expertise and helped stand up the Cyber Operations Center.

Carladenise Edwards, the chief administrative officer for Miami-Dade County, Fla., has taken on the role of interim director of the county’s technology agency, a position held by Margaret Brisbane since 2021.

Virginia is innovating and building momentum for technology in 2025, from moving to cloud to implementing AI, state CIO Bob Osmond said — aiming to carry that energy into the next gubernatorial administration.

Plus, Washington state has appointed an interim broadband director, North Carolina has announced new leadership for the Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity, communities are leading digital adoption efforts, and more.

As three longtime North Texas university leaders prepare to step down this summer, they reflect on how higher education has bolstered the region’s workforce development, economy and cultural capital.

As demographics change, bilingual public-sector workers can’t always keep up with all the “new” languages spoken by constituents. A Wordly report and client offer an inside view of the changes.

An expansion to its IT operating budget is enabling investment in AI tools to create efficiencies and solve challenges. The city’s technology agency plans to hire a chief AI officer and support staff this year.

Adam Miller, deputy director of the Office of Information Security and Cyber Defense, breaks down how it will centralize threat response and modernize safeguards, while helping to grow the state’s workforce.

Noting workforce demand and a gender disparity in technology fields, PC AGE Career Institute in New Jersey will provide $200 a month for low-income women to study cybersecurity or IT.

The department will be headed by Nevada’s now former cyber defense coordination administrator. The state also renamed the Office of the Chief Information Officer, to reflect its broadening mission.