SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At its second annual talent management conference, CPS HR Consulting awarded its $20,000 Talent Management Grant to the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) of Brownsville, Texas, to further the agency’s Millennial Apprenticeship for Engagement and Retention.
After administering an employee satisfaction and values survey in August 2014, BPUB found that while millennials represent 28 percent of its workforce, there is a high turnover rate for this generation. Additionally, 21 percent of the agency’s workforce is eligible to retire immediately.
“The Brownsville Public Utilities Board is experiencing a problem we see all too often among public sector agencies in the U.S.,” said Jerry Greenwell, CEO, CPS HR. “A large segment of their workforce is ready to retire, while the next generation isn’t staying in the same job for more than two years – leaving large knowledge and skills gaps that need to be filled.”
To solve this problem, BPUB will implement its Millennial Apprenticeship for Engagement and Retention Program, focused on departments that have higher millennial turnover rates and higher percentages of employees eligible to retire immediately.
“Our goal with this grant is to design and implement a pilot program that will create coaching and mentoring opportunities between a tenured, highly skilled BPUB professional and a millennial apprentice,” said Marisa Gaytan, Manager of Organizational Development, BPUB. “This partnership will have a two-pronged effect: knowledge transfer and strengthening our talent pipeline leading to engagement and retention of millennials.”
The apprenticeship will address existing and expected increases of millennials in the national workforce, reduce brain drain by attracting new graduates as well as promote an innovative method for addressing a more millennial-oriented workplace.
To be eligible for this grant, applicants must:
- Be a government agency in the U.S.
- Use the funds for internal staffing and expenses (not external consultants)
- Have the program be results-oriented
- Implement a program new to the agency that was linked to the agency’s future goals or strategic plan
- Demonstrate how the funds will be used
In addition, the agency has to implement the award within eight months of receiving the grant and then publish the results of the program to enable other agencies to use it as a model.
The first Talent Management Grant was awarded last year to the Connecticut Department of Correction’s POWER Program.
For more information about CPS HR and the grants it offers, visit: http://cpshr.us/about_us_grants.html.
About CPS HR Consulting
CPS HR Consulting, based in Sacramento, California, is a self-supporting public agency providing a full range of integrated HR solutions to government and nonprofit clients across the country. CPS HR consultants have expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, and training and development. For more information, visit www.cpshr.us or connect with them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.
About Brownsville Public Utilities Board
The Brownsville Public Utilities Board is a full-service, locally owned and operated utility board providing electric, water and wastewater services. It has more than 520 dedicated and responsive employees that provide reliable utility service for the City of Brownsville, Texas.
