Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration on Monday introduced the state’s 2025 cohort of fellows, 13 people who will likely be matched with state businesses to work on science, expertise and policy-related tasks.
Each fellow will participate in certainly one of two programs: the Governor’s Science and Technology Fellowship or the William & Hannah Penn Fellowship. The programs are designed to strengthen policymaking and produce cutting-edge analysis and innovation to the commonwealth government. Fellows with grasp’s, doctorates or different superior levels will likely be matched with businesses the place they’ve a possible pathway to a profession in state government.
The Governor’s Science and Technology Fellowship is a one-year program by which fellows are matched with businesses to work on tasks based mostly on particular fields of research. They’ll work on the the Departments of Community & Economic Development, Conservation & Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, Health and Transportation. They will work on tasks targeted on enhancing knowledge insights, visualization and decision-making, together with modernizing expertise to enhance program administration and effectivity.
The William & Hannah Penn Fellowship is a two-year program that companions members with the state’s prime govt leaders inside state businesses, the place they’ll work on quite a lot of coverage tasks. This yr’s cohort will serve within the Departments of Agriculture, Community & Economic Development, Environmental Protection, General Services, Health, Military and Veteran Affairs, Revenue, and the Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Fellows will deal with coverage matters that embrace synthetic intelligence, gun violence, surplus property, land use and zoning, and laws for medical amenities.
In a information launch, the Shapiro administration stated these programs are simply a part of the governor’s effort to appeal to and retain expertise in Pennsylvania’s state government. Last May, Shapiro signed the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower, or HIRE, executive order, which goals to strengthen the workforce throughout state businesses via strategic initiatives that embrace increasing internship, apprenticeship and fellowship alternatives.
The administration has rolled out different efforts to enhance its expertise pipeline. In July, Pennsylvania announced it had decreased the typical time to fill a vacant place from 90 day to 54 days, partially through the use of generative artificial intelligence. The expertise helped the state’s Office of Administration consider greater than 3,600 open positions’ descriptions and job classifications for accuracy, and the state is at the moment exploring different methods to use the tech within the hiring course of.
“The Commonwealth’s fellowships bring some of the best and brightest minds to state government to help us address real-world challenges that affect people and communities across Pennsylvania. This is hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves work that will make a real difference,” Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver stated within the information launch. “We look forward to seeing what they accomplish during their time with the Commonwealth.”