Generation Z and gaps in hospitals, schools and police: The federal government and cantons are now missing a big opportunity

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There is a shortage of bus and tram drivers in Zurich, and public transport schedules are also being tightened. There is a shortage of police officers in Basel and new police officers are being recruited in Germany. And St. In St. Gallen, the government is loudly considering relying on half-day classes to combat the teacher shortage.

These cases have one thing in common: The loss involves public sector workers. The skilled worker shortage is not new; However, there is a study that shows for the first time how the federal government, cantons and municipalities are affected by this.

There will be a shortage of 130,000 skilled workers in the public sector by 2030, according to a new study from consultancy firm PwC. There is already a gap of 40,000 people. The study’s authors warn that the growing staff shortage is leading to “decline in performance and quality”.

Orphaned administrative offices

The public sector is particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers because its workforce is aging: one-third of employees in the federal government will reach retirement age in the next decade. At the cantonal level, the situation does not look good: In the canton of Graubeğen, for example, almost 50 percent of administrative employees are over 50 years old.

In any case, in the public sector especially public administration has to deal with problems related to the recruitment of new talent. According to PwC, there will be a shortage of 34,000 employees in management by 2030; This corresponds to one in four jobs. There are also staffing shortages in hospitals, police departments and schools, but the situation there is less dramatic than in administrative offices.

There are no job postings for Generation Z

This makes it even more important for the federal government, cantons and municipalities to seek personnel from Generation Z. But prejudices get in the way: According to the common stereotype, civil servants are lazy, adopt a diversity approach rather than working together, and do their job only by the rules.

The research shows that a surprising 59 percent of Generation Z can dream of working in the public sector one day. At the same time, 63 percent say they have never seen, or at least do not remember, an online job posting from the public sector.

The authors of the study conclude that the public sector is not sufficiently present in common business platforms. “By doing this, he is missing a chance to engage with young people and win them over,” he says.

Philipp Roth, responsible for research at PwC, says things need to change quickly: “Waiting and drinking the tea is the poison of a shortage of skilled workers.”

Artificial intelligence is not replacing tram drivers

Among other things, better opportunities are needed for career changers. But even if the public sector increases its recruitment efforts, it is unlikely to fill this gap. As a result, demographic change throughout the economy leads to personnel shortages and the struggle for workers increases.

The authors of the study therefore recommend that the federal government, cantons and municipalities increasingly rely on artificial intelligence and advanced digital transformation to replace missing employees. But the tram in Zurich, the police in Basel and St. The school in St. Gallen still needs flesh-and-blood employees.

Source :Blick