Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2024)

OPINION: The Final Word

GAO: USCG Should Address

Workforce Recruitment and

Retention Challenges

By Heather MacLeod, Director, GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team he Coast Guard has strug- Coast Guard established cyberspace as vessels to determine whether they meet gled for years to recruit an operational domain to help protect safety, security, and environmental re- and retain a suf? cient the marine transportation system from quirements. A January 2022 GAO re- workforce. The U.S. Gov- threats that could be delivered through port found that the Coast Guard’s ma-

T ernment Accountability the internet, telecommunications net- rine inspection program has had similar

Of? ce (GAO), the non-partisan, fact- works, and computer systems. GAO’s recruitment and retention challenges based arm of the Congress, has pub- September 2022 review found that the over the past decade—showing a short- lished multiple reports related to the Coast Guard had determined that nine age of more than a thousand marine

Coast Guard’s workforce including percent, or 412 of its 4,507 funded inspectors. recruitment and retention challenges. cyberspace workforce positions, were GAO also determined that the Coast

Three of these reports published in vacant. Guard had collected and analyzed lim- 2022 and 2023 have resulted in 17 GAO’s review also found that the ser- ited data to forecast future workforce

GAO recommendations to address vice had not followed its own guidance and industry trends that could affect these issues, but as of today, 16 remain that calls for it to assess and determine the supply and demand for marine open and need to be addressed. Imple- necessary staf? ng levels and skills to inspectors. For example, the Coast menting these recommendations is key meet mission needs. For example, as Guard collected industry data to fore- to the Coast Guard’s ability to recruit of February 2022, the Coast Guard cast workforce needs for certain ves- and retain the personnel necessary to had not used its workforce determina- sel types (cruise ships) but not others conduct its diverse array of mission re- tion process to assess 55 percent of its (freight vessels). The Coast Guard also quirements. cyberspace workforce positions. Until did not regularly collect and analyze

The Coast Guard—a multi-mission such analysis is completed, the Coast other data, such as future potential re- military service employing more than Guard will not fully understand the tirements of Coast Guard personnel 55,000 personnel—has reported that it resources it requires, including those that could affect its supply of marine is about 3,500 enlisted members short to protect its information systems and inspectors. and has missed its recruiting targets for data from threats. GAO concluded that collecting ad- the past ? ve ? scal years. Some of the GAO made six recommendations ditional data to forecast future trends

Coast Guard’s recruitment and reten- aimed at improving the Coast Guard’s in the maritime industry and its marine tion issues fall within critical areas of workforce planning process for cyber- inspection workforce would enhance expertise such as its cyberspace and security personnel, including assessing the Coast Guard’s ability to identify marine inspections workforces. Com- it needs, collecting data, and develop- its potential future workforce needs. petition with higher paying jobs in the ing a strategy and metrics that could GAO made ? ve recommendations to private sector, limited opportunities better inform its efforts to recruit these strengthen the Coast Guard’s work- for promotion, and long work hours personnel. force planning efforts, including that have made it challenging for the Coast Marine Inspectors. The Coast Guard the service collect additional data to

Guard to recruit and retain these per- has faced long-standing challenges forecast future industry and workforce sonnel. maintaining an adequate staff of expe- trends.

Cyberspace Workforce. In 2015 the rienced marine inspectors who board Quality of Life challenges. Chal- 42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2024

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