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Workforce Development Toolkit

Because of size and varying socio-economic conditions, cities differ in terms of staffing, capacity, and know-how. This toolkit, accessible to all GMA members, can help level this uneven playing field. This toolkit concerns all stages of workforce development and may be used to assist cities in determining living wage levels relevant for recruitment and retention, learning about best practices, and researching and adopting appropriate tools for both training needs and succession planning. Most importantly, the toolkit allows GMA to build a knowledge base reflecting the current state of workforce development as well as innovative approaches in anticipation of future trends.
 
Learn more about the Starts With Me! workforce development campaign designed for Georgia cities to use as they address their ongoing talent acquisition and retention challenges.

Reports, Articles, and Tools

How to Build a Successful Volunteer Program

May 7, 2019
ICMA

Aging and in need of attention: America’s infrastructure and its 17 million workers

April 18, 2019
The Brookings Institution

The High Cost of Undervaluing Older Talent

March 22, 2019
Route 50

Investing in America's Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers

March 1, 2019
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Beyond Compliance: Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Populations to Achieve Higher Positions in Local Government

February 20, 2019
ICMA

Retirement Plans Use Too Much Jargon, Say Employees

February 5, 2019
National League of Cities

Financial Literacy Programs for Local Government Employees

January 31, 2019
Center for State and Local Government Excellence

The Gender Disparity in Climbing Local Government's Ladder

January 30, 2019
Governing Magazine

Balancing Objectives in Public Employee Post-Retirement Employment Policies: Reassessing Barriers to Continued Work

December 6, 2018
Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE)

The Model Police Officer: Recruitment, Training, and Community Engagement

November 16, 2018
ICMA

Sharing our H2Opportunity to Recruit the Next Generation

November 9, 2018
Kim Holland, Water & Sewer Director, Marietta Power and Water

Finance Employees Are Fastest-Growing Segment of Local Government Workforce

November 8, 2018
Governing Magazine

Workforce of the Future: Strategies to Manage Change

October 4, 2018
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE)

H2Opportunity Career Paths for Water Protection

October 1, 2018
H2Opportunity

Fresh Air Recruitment Trends & Topics: Implicit Bias

August 20, 2018
Engaging Local Government Leaders Network

A State and Local Government Leader’s Guide to Building the Public Workforce of the Future

August 6, 2018
Governing Institute

How Governments Are Closing the Gender Pay Gap

August 1, 2018
Governing Magazine

Recruiting Young People to Local Government

August 1, 2018
Route Fifty

Alpharetta Employee Referral Program

June 21, 2018

Renewing the Water Workforce: Improving Water Infrastructure and Creating a Pipeline to Opportunity

June 15, 2018
The Brookings Institution

State and Local Government Workforce: 2018 Data and 10-Year Trends

May 31, 2018
Center for State and Local Government Excellence

How to Identify Emerging Leaders

How can organizations strengthen their effectiveness in identifying and developing emerging leaders? While there are many factors involved in this important work, this article presen...
May 24, 2018
Government Executive

Preparing Tomorrow’s Public Service

May 14, 2018
The Volcker Alliance

Public Pension Cuts and Competitiveness

April 12, 2018
Center for State and Local Government Excellence

Public Sector Retirement Initiative

March 19, 2018
National League of Cities

Athens-Clarke County Innovation Ambassadors

March 7, 2018

Room to Grow: New Frontiers for Apprenticeships

February 14, 2018
Burning Glass Technologies & Harvard Business School

2018 Management Survey: Leading Challenges in State & Local Government

February 14, 2018
Route Fifty

COPS Task Force Makes Compensation Recommendations

December 19, 2017

Youth Councils Build Tomorrow’s Leaders

November 14, 2017

State and Local Government Workforce: 2017 Trends

October 31, 2017
Center for State & Local Government Excellence

Workforce Toolkit: Living Wage Calculators

October 18, 2017

GMA Municipal Workforce Development Task Force Report

June 29, 2017

Workforce News

Marietta PD reports full staff by courting millennial officers

While law enforcement agencies around the metro area and around the country are facing officer shortages, the Marietta Police Department doesn’t share that problem.
January 6, 2020
Marietta Daily Journal

City employees honored for hard work

Two Hogansville employees were honored Monday night for their hard work and dedication to the city.
December 19, 2019
LaGrange Daily News

City public works staff earns Golden Backhoe

October 29, 2019
Thomasville Times-Enterprise

Snellville offering digital badge program for online credits

October 9, 2019
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Suwanee recognizes youth police explorers

The Suwanee City Council recently congratulated the Suwanee Police Explorers. Explorers from Post 980 recently welcomed new high school students from North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridg...
October 3, 2019
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kennesaw's proposed $24.4M budget would add police positions

September 9, 2019
Marietta Daily Journal

Dunwoody proposes salary raise for full-time employees, police officers

September 5, 2019
Atlanta Journal-Constitution