The Council for Excellence in Government’s Web site has a commencement speech resource center that gives speakers ways to inspire college graduates to consider careers in public service (thanks to WP’s Federal Diary for this tip). The CEG page quotes OPM’s Linda Springer on the tsunami of retirements headed this way in the next 10 years. And while the Council for Excellence in Government points to a 2004 survey that indicates that young people are still "interested" in public service (including the military, teaching, social work, etc.), they're not signing up as quickly as we need them to. My guess is that it’s not because they hadn’t thought of public service as an option or that they’re turned off by government. I suspect they can’t afford it.
Do you remember when Tom Ridge left Homeland Security? Among the reasons he cited for leaving was the fact that he needed to work in the private sector to earn enough money to send his kids to college. And if Tom Ridge can’t make enough money in public service, there’s not much incentive for a 20-something to try. Also, take a look at this NYTimes story, The Bank of Mom and Dad, if you want a scarey preview of how your distant future may still involve supporting your kids.
Two-thirds of all four-year college graduates in 2004 left school with student debt, compared with less than one-third in 1993. Factoring in high debt levels, the congressional fixed 6.8% interest rate for federal student loans, and low starting salaries, we found that 23% of public four-year college students graduate with too much debt to manageably repay their loans as a starting teacher. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of public four-year college graduates have too much debt to manage as a starting social worker.
And this problem doesn’t exist only in the traditionally low-paying public service jobs. I know a brilliant young woman who is passionately interested in international health care policy. She graduated from a private four-year university, got a masters degree from Columbia and now wants to go to law school. Her family thinks she’s crazy because she’ll never be able to pay off the law-school debt with a government job. It’s a shame, because everyone loses.
Now what?
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