Boehlert to Testify at Senate Hearing on NASA ‘Brain Drain’ and his Legislation to Address Growing Problem

WHAT:   Senate Governmental Affairs, Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee Hearing on, “Evaluating Human Capital at

NASA”

WHEN:   Thursday, March 6, 2003 at 9:30 AM

WHERE:  342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert will testify about the bill he will introduce that would give NASA legislative authority to offer additional incentives to retain and recruit people with critical skills.  NASA sent up a draft set of proposals last year, and the Chairman’s bill is the product of negotiations with NASA over those proposals.

One of the top challenges facing NASA is their management of human capital.  NASA has had difficulty recruiting and retaining workers with key skills, and the problem is only likely to get worse with approximately 15 percent of NASA’s science and engineering workforce eligible to retire.  Within five years, almost 25 percent of the current workforce will be eligible to retire. Over the next few years the absence of individuals with critical skills could jeopardize NASA’s ability to accomplish its mission.