Outlook for Public Service Academy

GovLoop's featured project of the week is the campaign to create a U.S. Public Service Academy, on par with the nation's military academies, to inject prestige into federal service and highlight the importance of government work. The post touts the need for such an institution, particularly as the government faces a serious shortage of public servants as more than 90 percent of the federal government's leadership becomes eligible to retire over the next decade.

Shortly after the 2008 presidential election, I wrote about how backers of the public service academy were optimistic that their proposal would gain momentum under President Obama, and that legislation to create such an institution could even gain approval during the Obama administration's first year. But with other pressing issues as well as the rising budget deficit, any thought of the public service academy has fallen by the wayside.

Critics have questioned whether establishing a bricks-and-mortar undergraduate academy is even necessary, pointing to the existence of a wide range of public administration programs at many universities. Critics also contend that the academy does not begin to address the government's challenges, which do not necessarily stem from a lack of interest in public service among young people, but rather from a lengthy hiring process and a system that's largely based on seniority.

Keeping in mind the nation's many challenges as well as the rising national debt, should the public service academy still be on the radar? How could such an institution help address the government's challenges in recruiting the younger generation, particularly young IT workers?