Local governments across the country are grappling with severe hiring challenges. The anticipated “silver tsunami,” combined with high resignation rates during and after the pandemic, has left many positions vacant—particularly those that require specialized skills in areas such as financial management, information technology, public safety, and human resources. Competing with the private sector for talent is difficult, especially because younger workers are prioritizing higher immediate salaries over traditional benefits. So, how do we attract and develop the next generation of local government professionals?

ICMA’s programs, like the Next Generation Initiatives, the Local Government Management Fellowship, and opportunities for veterans, are helping build the talent pipeline. But it’s time for higher education to step up. While ICMA has traditionally partnered with MPA programs, universities need to provide more support. Local governments require expertise in areas like accounting, finance, computer science, and civil engineering. Higher education can contribute by showing students from these disciplines how their skills can make a real impact in public service.

At Cleveland State University, my colleagues and I have spent years focusing on recruitment, curriculum development, and enhancing the student experience to prepare students for public service careers. U.S. News & World Report ranks our program fourth nationally in urban policy and twelfth in local government management; the rankings reflect our mission to empower students to lead in these roles. Here’s what we’re doing to address the pipeline problem.

Starting with Introductory Courses

Expanding our outreach begins with introductory undergraduate courses. Every Cleveland State student must fulfill certain core requirements to graduate, such as taking a class in the social sciences or one on digital literacy. This provides us with an opportunity to engage students from diverse fields and backgrounds—students who may not have initially considered careers in local government. These courses introduce them to specific local government career paths that align with their values, skills, and interests.

While some students may choose to switch to one of our majors, that’s not our primary goal. Local governments need individuals with a wide range of skills. What matters is that students who are motivated to pursue public service recognize the various pathways available to them.

Making It About Them

In our public service careers course, the central driving question is: Is a public service career right for me? This inquiry underpins each module by guiding students through a reflective process that helps them align their personal values and interests with potential career paths. While taking the course, students are encouraged to explore their motivations and consider how they can contribute to the public good. It’s not just about learning the roles and responsibilities of certain positions; it’s about helping students determine whether these roles resonate with their sense of purpose and professional aspirations.

A significant portion of the course is dedicated to local government careers, especially those in Northeast Ohio. This regional focus allows students to connect with opportunities in their own communities.

Emphasizing Place-Based Learning

Place-based learning is a strategy that uses the local community as a foundation for teaching various subjects. This method grounds content in the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities of a specific area. It makes learning more relevant to the student. By studying local government structures, policies, and case studies, they see firsthand how public administration functions within their own communities. This stands in stark contrast to traditional textbooks and course curricula that generalize content to a state or national level, which can obscure the nuanced realities of local government.

Open Textbook Initiatives

Generative AI and open educational resources have transformed the way we create and disseminate knowledge. In many ways, they’ve freed educators from a reliance on traditional textbooks. Tools like ChatGPT allow subject matter experts to craft customized, high-quality content that can support place-based learning.

This year, while developing resources for our new state and local government class, I used these tools to create a textbook specifically tailored to our students’ needs. I took on multiple roles—writer, prompt engineer, and editor—and then collaborated with practitioners to review the textbook. Their input significantly shaped the final product. 

Most state and local government textbooks focus heavily on the state, with only a superficial local government chapter tacked on at the end. Students in our class learn about key leadership roles, such as mayors, city managers, and finance directors, often filled by Cleveland State alumni, and analyze case studies focused on Northeast Ohio communities. This localized, practical approach provides students with a much more relevant and impactful learning experience.

Our approach can be replicated. Open educational resources, coupled with generative AI, provide the flexibility to update course materials to reflect current events and policy changes. This approach keeps educational content relevant to the students we serve.

ICMA could further support this model by recommending a standardized framework for a local government textbook that can enable educators to adapt content to their specific locations. Such a framework would help prepare students for impactful careers by providing them with knowledge directly relevant to the communities they will serve. 

Specialized Local Government Majors

While introductory courses spark initial interest, our specialized majors provide the comprehensive education the next generation needs. The programs in community planning, public policy and management, and public safety management at Cleveland State University offer targeted pathways that go beyond traditional political science and public policy degrees. 

For example, the community planning major focuses on city planning and urban development; goals include preparing students to address challenges in land use, transportation, and environmental sustainability. The public policy and management major trains future leaders to navigate the complexities of policy analysis and implementation within local government settings. Meanwhile, the public safety management major offers a curriculum centered on law enforcement, the fire service, and emergency management.

Partnering with Other Academic Departments

We understand that preparing students for impactful public service careers requires expertise from a variety of disciplines. That’s why we collaborate with departments across campus, including accounting, criminology, communication, computer science, engineering, environmental sciences, and management. We share classes and rely on each other for advice. These partnerships allow us to offer a more comprehensive and well-rounded education.

For example, I encourage our students to take multiple accounting courses to build a strong foundation in financial management. While cities don’t necessarily require a CPA for roles such as budget analyst or finance clerk, graduates with coursework in accounting, finance, and public budgeting are in high demand. 

Our cross-departmental collaborations also attract students who might not initially consider careers in public service. A computer science major taking a public management course might realize that their programming skills could enhance local government efficiency through improved data management. An engineering student might develop an interest in urban planning after taking a course on urban sustainability. Similarly, a student with a construction background could be drawn to building inspection work—a critical need in Northeast Ohio. By breaking down silos and leveraging the strengths of various academic departments, we are able to engage a broader range of students.

Building Technological Literacy

Future leaders must be technologically literate, as local governments increasingly rely on digital tools for efficient service delivery, data-driven decision-making, and community engagement. To meet these demands, we’ve integrated technology-focused topics such as data analytics, GIS, and IT management into our curriculum. I also rely on insights from the Teaching Public Service in the Digital Age community—a network of practitioners and professors dedicated to advancing digital government education—to stay current in a rapidly evolving landscape. We have also partnered with the City of Cleveland’s Division of Information Technology Services to create a fellowship program that addresses their evolving industry needs and challenges.

Higher education has a critical role in building a workforce capable of leveraging digital tools to enhance transparency, efficiency, and community engagement. However, programs must intentionally commit to integrating these skills into their curricula to fully prepare students for the technological challenges ahead.

Experiential Learning and Community Engagement

Our programs are further strengthened by a commitment to experiential learning and community engagement initiatives. Most classes incorporate an applied project that allows students to tackle real-world challenges. This approach helps them gain practical experience and connect with the community. Site visits are common. Moreover, supported by the Maxine Goodman Levin endowment and other scholarship funds, we also prioritize funding for internships, host networking events, bring in guest speakers who are leaders in their fields, and promote student participation in professional development activities such as attending ICMA and OCMA conferences. We take pride in our active student groups affiliated with ICMA and the American Planning Association that offer students additional opportunities for professional growth and networking.

Paid Internships and Practitioner Involvement

Internships and paid fellowships are essential for students transitioning into public service roles, as they bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application. Cleveland State dedicates both faculty and staff resources to facilitate placements and ensure meaningful, productive experiences. However, not all universities have the resources to provide this level of support.

Creating internship opportunities requires collaboration. Academics often lack the external networks needed to establish robust programs. This is why the active involvement of local government leaders and agencies is crucial. By offering internships, guest speaking engagements, and mentorship, practitioners not only enhance student learning but also help build a motivated and well-prepared workforce. CSU Professor Emeritus and past ICMA President Sylvester Murray continues to emphasize that practitioner participation is vital for empowering students to bridge theory and practice effectively. So, we remain committed to creating and sustaining these opportunities.

I encourage local government leaders to offer paid internships and fellowships, which are especially important for first-generation and working-class students. Many cannot afford unpaid opportunities, even though these experiences are essential for gaining practical skills and building networks. Paid positions provide both financial support and valuable exposure, which empowers more students to enter and succeed in the field.

Developing Leadership Through Graduate Education

Our graduate programs support students at every stage of their careers, whether they are pre-service students with no prior work experience or mid-career professionals looking to advance. Our MPA program emphasizes community engagement, program evaluation, and public financial management to prepare graduates to navigate complex challenges and make informed, data-driven decisions. Similarly, our master of urban planning and development program prepares leaders who can shape strong communities. The program offers a comprehensive understanding of land use and community development. 

Together, these graduate programs provide a pathway for students and professionals to gain advanced skills and make significant contributions to public service and urban development. Whether accelerating from an undergraduate major or enrolling mid-career, our graduates are well-prepared to drive positive change.

Connecting Students with Mentors

Each of our students can participate in our formal mentoring program. Mentors help students navigate the complexities of their chosen career paths. Our program is a cornerstone of our student support strategy. Through it, we connect our students with experienced professionals who help guide them through their educational and career journeys. Our program has been instrumental in maintaining a diverse pipeline of local government professionals for Northeast Ohio and beyond and has been recognized as a national model. 

The program owes much of its success to the late State Senator Grace Drake, who was not only its creator but also its passionate advocate. Senator Drake personally recruited high-profile mentors each year by leveraging her extensive network of contacts to make sure students received top-tier guidance. Her dedication laid a strong foundation for the program. 

Regular meetings and ongoing engagement help students build the confidence and networks essential for success. While this programming requires significant time and resources, the investment is undeniably worthwhile. Ideally, the Ohio General Assembly will continue its support for the program. In many ways, we function as a vocational school for local governments, which urgently need dedicated and trained professionals to fill critical openings. Our approach not only prepares students for meaningful careers but also fosters a strong sense of community and belonging within our program.

Professional Development Programming

Local government professionals benefit from continuous learning, yet many lack access to structured development opportunities that can help them advance or transition into new roles. This is where universities play a critical role—not just in educating traditional students, but in providing targeted training for those already in the workforce or those entering public service from other sectors. For higher education to fully embrace this role, it must go beyond traditional degree programs and invest in flexible, accessible learning opportunities that meet the needs of local government professionals. By doing so, universities can support lifelong learning and professional growth.

Cleveland State has a long history of providing professional development programs for local governments, beginning with dedicated state funding and now through direct partnerships with local governments. Notably, Cleveland State is the only university in Ohio authorized to offer the Certified Public Manager (OCPM) program. This program provides valuable, skill-building experiences in areas such as performance management, ethical leadership, and strategic planning. We also teach the LeanOhio Boot Camp, which equips participants with practical tools and techniques to streamline processes, eliminate waste, and improve efficiency within government operations. These programs not only deliver significant benefits to participants but also strengthen the broader public service ecosystem by fostering connections and promoting a shared understanding of effective governance. 

By offering professional development, universities help cultivate a more skilled and adaptable workforce. Moreover, universities are uniquely positioned to act as neutral conveners, bringing together practitioners, academics, and policymakers to collaborate and share best practices. This role is especially important in public service, where collaboration and knowledge-sharing are critical to addressing community challenges. For example, we recently partnered with the accounting faculty to host mayors, managers, and finance directors for a discussion about strengthening our region’s pipeline for budget and finance personnel. As a result, we updated our curriculum to better align with regional needs and establish internship opportunities for students.

Conclusion

Higher education has a critical role in preparing the next generation of local government leaders. By leveraging introductory courses, offering specialized majors, and supporting advanced graduate programs, universities can equip students with the skills needed to excel. Place-based and experiential learning further enriches these programs and provides students with practical experience in their communities. Mentoring broadens students’ perspectives and provides them with the networks and resources needed to succeed. Finally, professional development initiatives in partnership with local governments can help current employees enhance their skills, keep up with best practices, and prepare for leadership roles. Together, these strategies strengthen the talent pipeline by creating a well-prepared and diverse workforce capable of taking on the problems facing local governments today.

Clayton Wukich, Ph.D., is an associate professor and interim director at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, r.wukich@csuohio.edu