“Public service is a noble profession – and I am proud to serve alongside 80,000 Commonwealth employees who go to work every day to help their communities.”

With that, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed his first Executive Order of 2024, establishing the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) Committee to expand opportunity for Pennsylvanians seeking a career in public service, continue to build a more competitive Commonwealth workforce, and make state government the best place to work in the Commonwealth.

The signing took place during the Commonwealth Job Fair, where over 40 state agencies set up recruitment tables with information on about 580 open Commonwealth positions for over 500 Pennsylvanians in attendance to learn more about career opportunities in public service.

“Since my first day in office, we’ve worked to break down barriers and create real opportunities for Pennsylvanians who want to work in state government – but we have to do more to remain competitive in a challenging labor market and set an example for the private sector,” said Shapiro. “The Executive Order I am signing today will ensure the Commonwealth is a competitive, attractive, and fulfilling place to work – and we have a workforce that is representative of Pennsylvania as a whole and accessible to our residents. Whether you’ve just graduated at a recent commencement and you’re starting a new career or have been in the workforce for a while now – we want you to build your career with the Commonwealth.”

Approximately 24 percent of the Commonwealth’s workforce is eligible for retirement in next five years in agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction – and the HIRE Committee will work to ensure the Commonwealth can make progress on attracting the next generation of public servants, compete with other employers in a competitive labor market, recruit and hire for historically hard to fill jobs, and ensure the Commonwealth’s workforce is representative of the diverse backgrounds and beliefs of Pennsylvania’s residents.

“We need to do everything we can right now to attract the best and brightest to public service to lead our Commonwealth into the future. We want to hire Pennsylvanians from all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life, so that our workforce continues to represent our 13 million residents,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “Through today’s Executive Order to create the HIRE Committee and our ongoing efforts around recruitment and hiring, we are positioning the Commonwealth to be a model employer and a destination for employees who want to make a difference through their work.”

The HIRE Committee will work with the Office of Administration (OA) and other Commonwealth agencies to:

• Develop a pilot program to create financial incentives to help recruit Commonwealth employees with non-English language proficiency for key roles where language proficiency is needed.
• Continuously build creative recruitment strategies for the Commonwealth’s most hard-to-fill jobs.
• Develop a mentorship and networking program to support recently discharged veterans entering or returning to Commonwealth employment.
• Collaborate with the PA Reentry Council to promote pathways to employment in state government for recently incarcerated Pennsylvanians who are returning to our communities as productive citizens.
• Create an inclusive workplace in state-owned buildings by directing an accessibility study of the Harrisburg Capitol Complex to improve mobility in and around the Capitol Complex for individuals with disabilities.
• Expand childcare options in state-owned buildings to support working parents.
• Expand the availability of free menstrual products in Commonwealth-owned restrooms.
• Continue efforts working with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to widen pathways to Commonwealth employment for individuals with disabilities.
• Provide employees with notice that they may use allotted sick leave to prioritize their mental health.

“AFSCME is proud to partner with the Commonwealth on these efforts,” said Mike Sukal, AFSCME Council 13 Administrator. “They fall directly in line with our members’ goals in the last set of contract negotiations, as well as AFSCME’s Staff the Front Lines initiative to boost recruitment and retention in public service jobs.”

Steve Catanese, President of SEIU Local 668 added, “If we want to provide the best services for the citizens of Pennsylvania, it’s vital we incentivize recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff.”

Together, AFSCME and SEIU Local 668 represent more than 36,000 Commonwealth employees.

Not everyone is on board, however, with the plan.

“As part of the ‘Back to Basics’ plan offered by the House Republican Appropriations Committee, we have identified areas where government is failing at its basic functions,” House Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) said. “This includes our Commonwealth’s workforce, as the Governor has pointed out. Today’s actions, added to his previous order to eliminate certain college degree requirements for many open government positions, are positive but lack the full vision to fix the problem.”

“If the Governor were serious about ‘getting *stuff* done’ to expand our Commonwealth’s workforce, he would have included a requirement for state agency coordination, by connecting individuals that are unemployed or underemployed to Commonwealth employment,” Grove added. “With the 600 open positions, government agencies should be searching for potential workers everywhere, but especially with individuals receiving government support.  I would encourage the Governor to review our ‘Back to Basics’ plan before his next Executive Order – we have many ideas that do not require legislation he could implement today.”