White House Makes IT Workers a Priority in 2013 Budget

The Obama administration plans to continue building on initiatives started in 2011 to strengthen the federal IT workforce.

The president's fiscal 2013 budget proposal, released Monday, noted success on IT workforce initiatives launched within the last year and plans to continue and build on them in fiscal 2013. Those initiatives include creating a new job title and specialized position description for IT program managers within the IT specialist job series "as part of ensuring that the largest most complex IT investments in the government are managed by experienced, talented individuals," the budget states.

The administration also touted the Presidential Technology Fellows Program, which launched in September as part of the administration's 25-point plan to reform federal IT management. In October, Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel said that the program had already received more than 5,000 applications.

The administration also stated plans to help close the productivity gap between the private sector and government, in part by equipping feds with the modern tools and technologies needed to serve citizens effectively. These initiatives will include developing smart telework policies that give employees increased flexibility. The strategy also will enable agencies to think strategically about how they buy, manage and use mobile devices and collaboration tools cost-effectively and securely, the budget states.

"Overall, the government needs to shift away from a paper-based mindset and focus on delivering information efficiently and effectively using digital tools," the budget states.