Restler follows up on cost savings, insourcing, and aging workforce

I know it's expensive.

It could be potentially, it could seem potentially expensive, but I really think there are cost savings actually in

solving for these vacancies and insourcing more that we have to rely on outside consultants because we don't have the capacity.

And I really think that DCAS and OLR need to do that comprehensive review.

Relatedly, we had really bad retention data during the Eric Adams administration, and I get it.

I think a lot of people didn't want to work for Eric Adams and his administration.

For obvious enough reasons.

But the city workforce is continuing to get older and older, as I'm sure you know much better than me.

How are you thinking about addressing the aging workforce, and what are we doing to make sure that we have the next generation ready to take the baton in areas where we're really dependent on the knowledge and expertise of older workers?

Yeah, that's a great question.

You know, as I mentioned in my testimony, we're invested in attracting young people to city government, utilizing, you know, new modes of operation like social media to get, you know, folks excited about civil service.

We also...

Sending you may out with signs on...

That's right.

Like our commissioners out there, boots on the ground, making it happen every day.

And, you know, getting us all charged up about, you know, what the future offers.

But things like, you know, the pathway programs that we're here talking about, the fee waivers for high schoolers and first-time test takers, expanding internships and apprenticeships.

These are all things or strategies that we think could help us engage, you know, the next wave of civil servants.

That's great.

And I think that I love seeing the commissioner out there and with Commissioner Richards and otherwise just trying to bring more people into the city workforce, internship models.

And Chair De La Rosa had, previous chair of this committee, De La Rosa had wonderful legislation that it's great to see this.

implementing around the internship model.

I think that, you know, when I have had a chance to read the workforce profile report, which I feel like is always delayed, so I hope, when was the last one released?

We're one fiscal year behind.

And, you know, when I saw you come in, Council Member, I knew you were going to ask about it.

I know, you were thinking it.

We're working on it.

I love the workforce profile report, one of the great reports of city government.

What it highlights in particular is where we have those gaps of where people are aging out that we need to be recruiting for.

So it's not just recruiting across the board.

It's in that targeted way of where do we really need help.