In response to the predicted shortfall in the public sector workforce, federal agencies have developed innovative strategies to encourage public service. Service corps programs, which provide educational scholarships in exchange for a specified service period, are an increasingly popular strategy - as highlighted by the reauthorization and expansion of The Serve America Act.
Although seemingly effective as a mechanism to address short term workforce needs, the long-term impact of service corps programs is not as clear. Given their cost, however, it is critical to gain sound insight on the potential of these programs to address both short- and long-term workforce needs. Thus, this research project seeks to add to the understanding of the value of service corps programs in addressing long-term workforce needs through an examination of the turnover intentions of participants in the National Science Foundation Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. SFS is an inter-agency service corps program that recruits future members of the public sector cyber security workforce. Since 2001, more than $75 million has been distributed as scholarship support for more than 800 future members of the federal cyber corps. Given the importance of a strong public sector cyber corps and the cost of this recruitment and socialization tool, it is critical to gain additional insight about program impact.
This research project investigates the turnover intentions among future members of the federal cyber corps while they are still engaged in their programs and service periods. Through surveys of current SFS participants, the research project examines how individual, job-related and organizational factors influence their ex-ante intention to stay.
