Skills, not schools: A new path for government tech
The White House's decision to remove degree requirements from major federal IT contracts isn't just about procurement reform — it's about economic mobility.
It's creating real economic mobility for talented people who've been systematically shut out of the tech industry. I've spent years advocating for more inclusive hiring practices, and I see this as a pivotal moment to reshape not just who builds government technology, but who gets to build wealth through tech careers.
The White House announcement means major federal agencies are removing unnecessary degree requirements from their IT contracts. The General Services Administration, Department of Energy and Department of Defense are leading this change, affecting billions in contract spending and thousands of positions across government technology work. Each of these jobs represents a chance for someone to build a stable career in tech and create intergenerational wealth, often for the first time in their family's history.
But this policy change only matters if we, as business leaders, step up to create real pathways into these opportunities.
At Fearless, we're excited about the potential to tap into talent from all backgrounds. The tech industry is full of creative problem-solvers who've gained their skills through alternative paths — from hands-on experience to specialized training programs. Current contracting rules have kept many of these skilled individuals out of government tech work. That's about to change, and what will matter is how well someone can do the job, not where they learned to do it.
We understand what it takes to succeed in government contracting because the Fearless team has lived it.
The mentorship and support we've received along the way helped us grow from a company of one into what we are today. That's why we created Hutch, our incubator program that helps founders build successful digital services companies. Over 24 months, we provide mentorship, training and support to help these companies navigate the complex world of government contracting. Through five cohorts, we've supported 28 companies in building stronger digital services capabilities. It's our way of strengthening the entire government tech ecosystem.
The federal government spends $74 billion annually on civilian IT. That's $74 billion that could be creating economic opportunities in communities across America. But making this happen requires more than just removing degree requirements. We need to build robust talent pipelines, create meaningful training programs, and provide real mentorship opportunities.
Don't just change your job postings — change how you develop talent.
This isn't just about federal contracting — it's about creating opportunities at every level. As a member of Maryland's Governor's Workforce Development Board, I've seen how state-level initiatives like the new Talent Innovation Fund will create pathways into technology careers. This fund specifically targets high-demand fields like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, helping Marylanders access the training they need for these roles. When we combine federal policy changes with state-level workforce development, we create a powerful engine for economic mobility. But it only works if business leaders actively participate in building these bridges between talent and opportunity.
Here's my challenge to other tech leaders: Don't just change your job postings — change how you develop talent.
Create apprenticeship programs. Partner with technical training programs in underserved communities. Build mentorship structures that support people through their entire career journey, not just their first few weeks on the job.
The technology we build for government directly impacts millions of Americans. Making it better starts with bringing in people who understand those impacts firsthand. People who've navigated complex benefit systems know exactly how to make them more user-friendly. People who've helped family members access government services understand which friction points need fixing.
As business leaders, we have a choice. We can treat this policy change as just another contracting rule, or we can seize it as an opportunity to create real economic change. The talent is out there. The opportunities are opening up. Now it's on us to build the bridges between them.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Technical.ly
17-02-2025
- Technical.ly
Hoping to score a federal contract during the Trump years? Prepare your security plans now
This is a guest post by Will Sweeney, managing partner at data privacy and cyber risk consulting firm Zaviant. With a new administration now in office, cybersecurity is likely to take center stage as overall national security efforts become increasingly prioritized. As a result, we will continue to see stricter cyber policies from the US government, some of which will have a direct impact on federal contractors. For example, the Pentagon recently posted the final rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0, solidifying their plans to implement new cybersecurity standards for contractors later this year. To avoid business disruptions, it's essential that companies align their cybersecurity programs with evolving standards. Here's how your businesses can strengthen their privacy and security protocols to stay secure and hopefully land more deals with the government in 2025 and beyond. Document how you follow current protocols Any contractor working with the US government should create and maintain a comprehensive system security plan (SSP). It's not just best practice — it's a requirement under frameworks like NIST SP 800-171 and the Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses. This document outlines how your company protects sensitive government data, covering all aspects of system design, data handling and security controls. It demonstrates your company's commitment to data security if legislators crack down. Preparing this plan takes a few key steps like defining the scope of the SSP, gathering existing documentation, conducting a gap analysis, closing any gaps, drafting the SSP and reviewing and validating it. Furthermore, all prime contractors and their subcontractors will need a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) if they do business with the Department of Defense (DOD). Having an SSP will be helpful here because CMMC requires your business to have an SSP to satisfy the requirements for systems where Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is stored or shared. Check your current protocols against government best practices Ahead of enhanced cybersecurity protocols, all government contractors should take a serious look at their current program. This is best done through a gap analysis, an assessment that compares your existing security controls against industry standards. For example, companies can anticipate that they'll need to comply with frameworks like NIST 800-171, which is widely adopted by US government contractors to ensure that CUI is properly protected. The framework provides a set of 14 families of security requirements, covering everything from access control to incident response. By assessing your company's compliance with these standards, you can identify any gaps or deficiencies in your security posture ahead of any upcoming changes. Find out your SPRS score Once you have a solid grasp of your security program's current state, it's time to focus on your Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score. The SPRS score is a measure of your compliance with the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement clause 252.204-7012, which requires defense contractors to report their compliance with NIST 800-171. Contractors are required to input their compliance status into SPRS, and the resulting score is used by government agencies to assess the risk level of contracting with your company. A higher SPRS score indicates a strong cybersecurity posture, which is likely to become increasingly important moving forward. If you don't have an acceptable score, you may not be able to do business with the government until you improve it by fixing the gaps it points out. Outline a plan to fix any gaps and comply with future regulations When conducting a gap analysis, you're likely to uncover areas where your security program falls short of government requirements. This happens, but it's important to address these gaps by creating a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) document, which serves as a roadmap for outlining the steps, responsible parties and timelines for achieving compliance. The document should prioritize actions based on risk levels and ensure that milestones are met to demonstrate progress. The POA&M is particularly important for contractors working with the DOD because it shows what gaps are in place and gives specific timelines on when those gaps will be closed. Follow through on your plans to improve Once your POA&M is in place, it's time to work toward improving your security maturity and increasing your SPRS score. This involves addressing the gaps identified during the assessment and executing the corrective actions in your POA&M. Improving your security maturity may involve regularly reviewing and refining your security policies and procedures in response to new regulations, implementing automation where possible to streamline compliance activities, training staff on cybersecurity best practices and engaging third-party auditors to assess the effectiveness of your program. Make sure your other vendors are in compliance, too Government contractors are responsible not only for their own data security but also that of third-party vendors they engage to support their business. Flowing down government requirements is crucial to ensure that your entire ecosystem of contractors and subcontractors meets the necessary standards to protect sensitive data. To accomplish this, companies should clearly communicate security expectations to third-party vendors, ensure that they are compliant with NIST 800-171 and other relevant frameworks, and include compliance requirements in contracts.
Technical.ly
06-02-2025
- Technical.ly
These 10 regions could be most impacted by federal return-to-office mandates
Return-to-office mandates for the federal workforce mean hundreds of thousands of people are headed back to the office, with impacts that will ripple across the country. Washington, DC, may be the traditional hub for government employees, but other regions have more federal leases, and pay more for them, too. Houston, for example, has one of the highest concentrations of federal office space, and local leaders are betting federal RTO mandates will boost vibrancy and business for local storefronts, maybe even helping it climb back up to its pre-pandemic levels. 'Employees are the lifeblood of sales for many of our restaurants and cafes, and importantly, workers contribute to the vibrancy of our public realm,' Downtown Houston CEO Kristopher Larson told The Texas city's total count of federal office leases is 59, with an annual price tag of $43.7 million. In total, the federal government, also the largest employer in the country, spends nearly $5.8 billion on its annual leases across more than 7,500 offices, according to data from the General Services Administration. DC, home to the core components and major agencies in charge of running the federal government, has many of these offices — 166 leases, per GSA data. And nearby Arlington, Virginia, lands in the top three, too. Just tied with Arlington, though? San Diego, California. There's not a clear reason for that, though the federal government employed nearly 47,000 residents as of December 2024. The city's downtown organization didn't respond to a request for comment. The mandate will have major impacts on people uprooting their lifestyles to meet the order, according to Mika Cross, the CEO of professional training org Strategy@Work, who spent more than a decade in federal government. 'The impact to the average worker is not just productivity and a headache to have to relocate,' Cross told 'It's logistically, how can we make this work. 'Our government was already investing in rural community growth and rural innovation growth in those opportunity zones,' Cross said. 'Why would we take away the ability for the federal government to also be able to live and work in those communities?' This is all rapidly changing, though. With President Donald Trump's current imperative to slash the federal workforce, cities may miss out on the economic impacts of RTO they're anticipating, and workers may soon find themselves out of a job instead of back in the office. Top 5 most expensive federal office leases Altogether, federal office leases in fiscal year 2024 cost about 0.086% of the total US budget of about $6.75 trillion — but spending varies widely across the country. The top five most expensive offices are: $62 million Triangle Services Division in Alexandria, Virginia $61.5 million Kansas City South Office in Kansas City, Missouri $34.8 million Kansas City North Office in Kansas City, Missouri $34.7 million Delaware Valley Field Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania And the $31.8 million DC Services Division in Washington, DC. States with the highest and lowest office concentration California, Texas and Florida have the highest concentration of federal offices, according to leasing data from the, with San Diego and Arlington, Virginia, as the top cities for those buildings outside of DC proper. The places with the fewest federal offices are the US territories. The American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the Virgin Islands all have fewer than 15 locations. By state, here's how the list of the five lowest it shakes out compared to the number of employees, according to US Census data: Rhode Island with 28 offices serving 21,000 federal employees New Hampshire with 35 offices, serving 20,000 employees Delaware with 41 offices, serving 18,000 employees North Dakota with 41 offices, serving 23,000 employees Wyoming with 45 offices, serving 15,000 employees. Vermont has the lowest concentration of federal employees at 8,000 across 46 offices. Compared to the five states that have the most, however, proximity to major cities that could be playing a factor. Still, the concentration of leases doesn't always match up the size of the federal workforce by ranking.
Technical.ly
23-11-2024
- Technical.ly
Skills, not schools: A new path for government tech
The White House's decision to remove degree requirements from major federal IT contracts isn't just about procurement reform — it's about economic mobility. It's creating real economic mobility for talented people who've been systematically shut out of the tech industry. I've spent years advocating for more inclusive hiring practices, and I see this as a pivotal moment to reshape not just who builds government technology, but who gets to build wealth through tech careers. The White House announcement means major federal agencies are removing unnecessary degree requirements from their IT contracts. The General Services Administration, Department of Energy and Department of Defense are leading this change, affecting billions in contract spending and thousands of positions across government technology work. Each of these jobs represents a chance for someone to build a stable career in tech and create intergenerational wealth, often for the first time in their family's history. But this policy change only matters if we, as business leaders, step up to create real pathways into these opportunities. At Fearless, we're excited about the potential to tap into talent from all backgrounds. The tech industry is full of creative problem-solvers who've gained their skills through alternative paths — from hands-on experience to specialized training programs. Current contracting rules have kept many of these skilled individuals out of government tech work. That's about to change, and what will matter is how well someone can do the job, not where they learned to do it. We understand what it takes to succeed in government contracting because the Fearless team has lived it. The mentorship and support we've received along the way helped us grow from a company of one into what we are today. That's why we created Hutch, our incubator program that helps founders build successful digital services companies. Over 24 months, we provide mentorship, training and support to help these companies navigate the complex world of government contracting. Through five cohorts, we've supported 28 companies in building stronger digital services capabilities. It's our way of strengthening the entire government tech ecosystem. The federal government spends $74 billion annually on civilian IT. That's $74 billion that could be creating economic opportunities in communities across America. But making this happen requires more than just removing degree requirements. We need to build robust talent pipelines, create meaningful training programs, and provide real mentorship opportunities. Don't just change your job postings — change how you develop talent. This isn't just about federal contracting — it's about creating opportunities at every level. As a member of Maryland's Governor's Workforce Development Board, I've seen how state-level initiatives like the new Talent Innovation Fund will create pathways into technology careers. This fund specifically targets high-demand fields like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, helping Marylanders access the training they need for these roles. When we combine federal policy changes with state-level workforce development, we create a powerful engine for economic mobility. But it only works if business leaders actively participate in building these bridges between talent and opportunity. Here's my challenge to other tech leaders: Don't just change your job postings — change how you develop talent. Create apprenticeship programs. Partner with technical training programs in underserved communities. Build mentorship structures that support people through their entire career journey, not just their first few weeks on the job. The technology we build for government directly impacts millions of Americans. Making it better starts with bringing in people who understand those impacts firsthand. People who've navigated complex benefit systems know exactly how to make them more user-friendly. People who've helped family members access government services understand which friction points need fixing. As business leaders, we have a choice. We can treat this policy change as just another contracting rule, or we can seize it as an opportunity to create real economic change. The talent is out there. The opportunities are opening up. Now it's on us to build the bridges between them.
