Critical Update

The government faces a serious brain drain: For every one tech worker under 30 years old, there are almost five who are 60 and older. One way to fix that is lure talent from the private-sector for short-term stints in the government. Marcy Jacobs runs one such team: the Digital Service team at the Veterans Affairs department. She shares what she looks for when she’s building her team and how some fall in love with the mission. Here’s more on the work Jacobs’ team does and more information on the Sammies, an awards program that recognizes the work of public servants. Read more about the U.S. Digital Service’s work, and by the way, the team is hiring. This episode is underwritten by Leidos.