NASCIO Issues a Call to Action for State CIOs on the IT Workforce

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, April 16 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released a study on the current landscape of the state Information Technology (IT) workforce: State IT Workforce: Facing Reality with Innovation. The study includes survey data collected from 49 states and territories earlier this year and features findings and recommendations for state chief information officers (CIOs).

NASCIO has studied the issue of IT workforce for several years and released reports in 2007 and 2011 on the topic. Building upon these previous offerings, the 2015 report shines a light on the current landscape of the state IT workforce and includes candid feedback from state CIOs. The report also details innovative techniques state IT agencies are using to recruit and retain both entry level and highly skilled personnel.

The study is a presidential priority of NASCIO President Stu Davis, CIO, state of Ohio, who said, “for the first time in several years, ‘human resources/talent management’ made NASCIO’s “Top Ten” list for 2015—a compilation of top priorities for state CIOs. Therefore, we felt it was important to take a fresh look at the issue.”

Key takeaways from the report include:

  • Nearly 92 percent of states say salary rates and pay grade structures present a challenge in attracting and retaining IT talent.
  • 86 percent of states are having difficulty recruiting new employees to fill vacant IT positions.
  • 46 percent of states report that it is taking 3 to 5 months to fill senior level IT positions.
  • A shortage of qualified candidates for state IT positions is hindering 66 percent of states from achieving strategic IT initiatives.
  • Security is the skill that presents the greatest challenge in attracting and retaining IT employees.

Read the report at www.NASCIO.org/workforce

About NASCIO

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. www.nascio.org.