In an article released by the United States Census Bureau, there was some interesting data about what is on our immediate horizon, as it relates to our population and consequently, our workforce.

As reported and discussed in our White Paper, Navigating the Changing Seascape of Maritime Public Safety, as well as the Adjusting to the Incoming Tides piece, we talk about the specific (and radical) changes that are affecting our maritime domain in the areas of law enforcement and emergency response, as well as the manufacturing sector. Particularly, we talked about the rapid exodus of our talent and institutional knowledge base, and the gap that is expanding exponentially as we struggle to keep up with training demands while trying to meet the retention and diversity challenges.

The question is, are you ready for the "Boom" created by this dramatic change in our demographics? Is your organization ready, or are you still doing things (like your training) the way you have always done it... back when you were a recruit going through the academy? If you are doing things the same way, are you wondering why you can't keep your people (retention issues), can't attract the right people (diversity challenges), and have an increase in mishaps with your younger officers?

Maybe its time to take a hard look at how you are doing things, and how you may be able to adapt to this new workforce, or tap into that institutional knowledge that left your agency. How could your training be changed to reduce your costs, yet expand your capabilities and talk to the workforce in a way that can ensure long term benefits to the organization?

If these are questions you are asking, then maybe we can help provide some answers through our Needs Assessment and Analysis process, and through our Approach to Comprehensive Training Solutions (ACTS) Program. At the very least, it may be worth talking about and exploring. You can contact us by clicking here.

In the meantime, read the rest of this article from the Census Bureau... it will surely make you think about the future, and what you can do today to prepare for it. Here are some highlights: (the full article can be accessed by clicking here.)

2030 Marks Important Demographic Milestones for U.S. Population

The year 2030 marks an important demographic turning point in U.S. history according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. This will expand the size of the older population so that 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age.

“The aging of baby boomers means that within just a couple decades, older people are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history,” said Jonathan Vespa, a demographer with the U.S. Census Bureau. “By 2035, there will be 78.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7 million (previously 76.4 million) under the age of 18.”

The 2030s are projected to be a transformative decade for the U.S. population. The population is expected to grow at a slower pace, age considerably and become more racially and ethnically diverse. Net international migration is projected to overtake natural increase in 2030 as the primary driver of population growth in the United States, another demographic first for the United States.

Although births are projected to be nearly four times larger than the level of net international migration in coming decades, a rising number of deaths will increasingly offset how much births are able to contribute to population growth. Between 2020 and 2050, the number of deaths is projected to rise substantially as the population ages and a significant share of the population, the baby boomers, age into older adulthood. As a result, the population will naturally grow very slowly, leaving net international migration to overtake natural increase as the leading cause of population growth, even as projected levels of migration remain relatively constant.

For the full article, clicking here.