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Central Michigan University's  2008

CONSTITUTION DAY celebration  read more...

Fall 2008 Faculty and Graduate Student Reception

The Master of Public Administration program at Central Michigan University aims to provide professional degree training, enhance understanding of government work, and develop a commitment to knowledgeable public service. The intent of those efforts is to improve both students’ clarity of thought about  public sector performance and their capabilities as the managers who ensure that performance. Two types of students constitute the primary clientele of MPA-CMU. One is the mid-career adult learner who wants to advance further in a career in the public sector, with a nonprofit organization, or with the public affairs work of a private association or firm. The second is the less experienced learner who has recently completed undergraduate work and aims at employment in the same type of positions.
 

Recruiting Talent Into Government and Non-Profits - The Future is Now

The future is now for MPA graduates.  So says a recent article from PA Times (November 2006).  "Government is already feeling the leading edge effects of the imminent retirement boom..."   "The greatest losses from retirement will be experienced and senior-level people."  The article goes on to say that government needs to build the talent pool from the entry-level up now.  The net effect of this realization is greater competition for MPA graduates.  

According to a recent New York Times article (1/11/07) American communities are having trouble finding city managers.   "...The aging of baby boomers traditionally drawn to civic careers are making the jobs harder to fill, even as communities increasingly turn to such professional administrators to oversee budgets, services and personnel."  The shrinking pool of recruits is a forerunner of what some experts call a broader government talent shortage to come.  "...Statisticians forecast a growing gap of unfilled executive and managerial jobs.  The effects are only beginning to be felt nationally, according to the International City/County Management Association, which has held regional conferences on what it deems a crisis."  With 20 million fewer people in the post-baby boom generation, competition is going to be fierce.  Government's challenge is to inspire a new generation to accept the call to public service.