Latest news with #DepartmentOfVeteransAffairs
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VA walks back plans for mass layoffs but will still lose tens of thousands of jobs
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday it is walking back plans for mass layoffs at the agency but says it will still shed tens of thousands of jobs by the end of fiscal year 2025. VA Secretary Doug Collins previously said the agency had the goal of laying off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000 that was in place this summer, which would have amounted to about 15% of its workforce. The VA is scrapping those plans for now, but it is on pace to reduce the total number of staffers by nearly 30,000, 'through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition,' the agency said in a news release, adding that those cuts will eliminate 'the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.' Some employees have already departed through those channels. The VA says it had roughly 484,000 total employees on January 1 and 467,000 employees as of June 1 – a reduction of nearly 17,000 workers. It says between now and September 30, 'the department expects nearly 12,000 additional VA employees to exit through normal attrition, voluntary early retirement authority, or the deferred resignation program.' Sources at the agency and on Capitol Hill previously told CNN the first significant round of layoffs was planned to begin this month, with a second round planned to begin in September. On Monday, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz told CNN there is no longer a target of 80,000 cuts. As for next year, Kasperowicz said, 'VA is not planning to make any other major changes to staffing levels beyond those outlined in the release.' The release insists the reductions 'do not impact Veteran care or benefits.' 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said. CNN has previously reported that some staff who handle administration, billing, and running facilities have already left, leaving doctors and nurses to do those jobs on top of practicing medicine, contributing to sagging morale at some VA facilities, a problem that spans multiple administrations. 'A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn't mean we're done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue,' Collins said in the statement. A reduction of 30,000 employees constitutes about 6.2% of the VA's workforce, based on 484,000 total VA employees as of January 1, 2025. Some of the harshest Democratic critics in Congress of the previously planned VA layoffs responded to the latest announcement with scorn. 'This announcement makes clear VA is bleeding employees across the board at an unsustainable rate because of the toxic work environment created by this Administration and DOGE's slash and trash policies,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, this is still a reduction in force—except VA has been able to do it without accountability and transparency to veterans and Congress.' House Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano warned that the new staffing reduction plan would still have major impacts. 'The loss of 30,000 VA employees will be catastrophic, and veterans will suffer,' he said in a statement. 'I hope the Secretary is ready to respond to this inevitable disaster.' Across the aisle, one prominent Senate Republican praised Collins' announcement Monday. Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he had spoken to Collins on Monday morning. Moran said he appreciated the secretary's efforts 'to make certain veterans are at the center of any changes at the VA and ensure the department is focused on providing high-quality health care and benefits to those who have served and their families. This decision provides greater certainty to VA employees and the veterans they serve.'
CNN
07-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
VA walks back plans for mass layoffs but will still lose tens of thousands of jobs
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday it is walking back plans for mass layoffs at the agency but says it will still shed tens of thousands of jobs by the end of fiscal year 2025. VA Secretary Doug Collins previously said the agency had the goal of laying off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000 that was in place this summer, which would have amounted to about 15% of its workforce. The VA is scrapping those plans for now, but it is on pace to reduce the total number of staffers by nearly 30,000, 'through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition,' the agency said in a news release, adding that those cuts will eliminate 'the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.' Some employees have already departed through those channels. The VA says it had roughly 484,000 total employees on January 1 and 467,000 employees as of June 1 – a reduction of nearly 17,000 workers. It says between now and September 30, 'the department expects nearly 12,000 additional VA employees to exit through normal attrition, voluntary early retirement authority, or the deferred resignation program.' Sources at the agency and on Capitol Hill previously told CNN the first significant round of layoffs was planned to begin this month, with a second round planned to begin in September. On Monday, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz told CNN there is no longer a target of 80,000 cuts. As for next year, Kasperowicz said, 'VA is not planning to make any other major changes to staffing levels beyond those outlined in the release.' The release insists the reductions 'do not impact Veteran care or benefits.' 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said. CNN has previously reported that some staff who handle administration, billing, and running facilities have already left, leaving doctors and nurses to do those jobs on top of practicing medicine, contributing to sagging morale at some VA facilities, a problem that spans multiple administrations. 'A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn't mean we're done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue,' Collins said in the statement. A reduction of 30,000 employees constitutes about 6.2% of the VA's workforce, based on 484,000 total VA employees as of January 1, 2025. Some of the harshest Democratic critics in Congress of the previously planned VA layoffs responded to the latest announcement with scorn. 'This announcement makes clear VA is bleeding employees across the board at an unsustainable rate because of the toxic work environment created by this Administration and DOGE's slash and trash policies,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, this is still a reduction in force—except VA has been able to do it without accountability and transparency to veterans and Congress.' House Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano warned that the new staffing reduction plan would still have major impacts. 'The loss of 30,000 VA employees will be catastrophic, and veterans will suffer,' he said in a statement. 'I hope the Secretary is ready to respond to this inevitable disaster.' Across the aisle, one prominent Senate Republican praised Collins' announcement Monday. Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he had spoken to Collins on Monday morning. Moran said he appreciated the secretary's efforts 'to make certain veterans are at the center of any changes at the VA and ensure the department is focused on providing high-quality health care and benefits to those who have served and their families. This decision provides greater certainty to VA employees and the veterans they serve.'
CNN
07-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
VA walks back plans for mass layoffs but will still lose tens of thousands of jobs
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday it is walking back plans for mass layoffs at the agency but says it will still shed tens of thousands of jobs by the end of fiscal year 2025. VA Secretary Doug Collins previously said the agency had the goal of laying off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000 that was in place this summer, which would have amounted to about 15% of its workforce. The VA is scrapping those plans for now, but it is on pace to reduce the total number of staffers by nearly 30,000, 'through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition,' the agency said in a news release, adding that those cuts will eliminate 'the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.' Some employees have already departed through those channels. The VA says it had roughly 484,000 total employees on January 1 and 467,000 employees as of June 1 – a reduction of nearly 17,000 workers. It says between now and September 30, 'the department expects nearly 12,000 additional VA employees to exit through normal attrition, voluntary early retirement authority, or the deferred resignation program.' Sources at the agency and on Capitol Hill previously told CNN the first significant round of layoffs was planned to begin this month, with a second round planned to begin in September. On Monday, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz told CNN there is no longer a target of 80,000 cuts. As for next year, Kasperowicz said, 'VA is not planning to make any other major changes to staffing levels beyond those outlined in the release.' The release insists the reductions 'do not impact Veteran care or benefits.' 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said. CNN has previously reported that some staff who handle administration, billing, and running facilities have already left, leaving doctors and nurses to do those jobs on top of practicing medicine, contributing to sagging morale at some VA facilities, a problem that spans multiple administrations. 'A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn't mean we're done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue,' Collins said in the statement. A reduction of 30,000 employees constitutes about 6.2% of the VA's workforce, based on 484,000 total VA employees as of January 1, 2025. Some of the harshest Democratic critics in Congress of the previously planned VA layoffs responded to the latest announcement with scorn. 'This announcement makes clear VA is bleeding employees across the board at an unsustainable rate because of the toxic work environment created by this Administration and DOGE's slash and trash policies,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, this is still a reduction in force—except VA has been able to do it without accountability and transparency to veterans and Congress.' House Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano warned that the new staffing reduction plan would still have major impacts. 'The loss of 30,000 VA employees will be catastrophic, and veterans will suffer,' he said in a statement. 'I hope the Secretary is ready to respond to this inevitable disaster.' Across the aisle, one prominent Senate Republican praised Collins' announcement Monday. Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he had spoken to Collins on Monday morning. Moran said he appreciated the secretary's efforts 'to make certain veterans are at the center of any changes at the VA and ensure the department is focused on providing high-quality health care and benefits to those who have served and their families. This decision provides greater certainty to VA employees and the veterans they serve.'
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Is Reshaping The Workforce—But Higher Ed Isn't Preparing Students For It
What once felt like science fiction is now everyday reality: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are rapidly transforming our world. AI now plays a transformative role across nearly every sector, from medicine and law to business, government, and education. Doctors are using AI to document patient records, support diagnoses, generate discharge instructions, and even translate languages. Lawyers are using it to draft contracts and analyze case law. In the corporate world, many businesses rely on AI for project management, strategic brainstorming, hiring, and customer service. Even the public sector is fully engaged. Over half of government employees report using AI tools, according to one survey. The Food and Drug Administration leverages AI in its drug approval process. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is using AI to predict suicide risk for former military members. In December 2024, Congress released a bipartisan report with recommendations for federal agencies on AI deployment and oversight. AI is not just a tech buzzword—it's an operational reality. But there's one major sector struggling to keep pace: higher education. And more specifically, graduate and professional schools. Despite widespread student interest and use of AI—over half of medical students, for instance, reportedly use ChatGPT—most universities have yet to integrate meaningful AI instruction into their undergraduate and graduate curricula. Some institutions have no clear policies or faculty training; others are hesitant to embrace AI at all, viewing it as a threat to academic integrity. This creates a growing disconnect: industries are rapidly evolving to require AI fluency, yet many universities are not preparing their students to meet that demand and thus many students feel unprepared to use AI in the workplace. While the U.S. President recently signed an Executive Order emphasizing AI instruction in public K-12 schools, this does not include colleges and universities. This lag is particularly alarming at the graduate school level, where students train to enter rapidly evolving fields such as medicine, law, education, and business. If institutions continue to vary widely in how (or whether) they teach AI skills, employers will face a fragmented talent pool—where some graduates are AI-savvy, and others are left behind not by choice, but by institutional lag. Complicating matters further, some institutions that do support AI integration lack the resources to implement it equitably. Large-scale access to enterprise-level tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot can be costly for many underfunded colleges that serve large amounts of low-income students. This disparity threatens to deepen the digital divide in the workforce, privileging graduates of well-funded institutions while sidelining others through no fault of their own. It's not all bleak, however. A few states and universities are taking action. California recently announced a partnership with OpenAI to develop a custom version of ChatGPT for its public colleges and universities, coupled with free AI training for students and faculty. The University of Maine created a dedicated guide to help graduate students learn how to use AI effectively and ethically. Leadership Brainery Founders Derrick Young Jr. and Jonathan Allen recently hosted Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University, on their live-audience show The Future at the Museum of Science. In their conversation, Dr. Wooten highlighted the urgent need for higher education leaders and students to embrace AI as a collaborative tool—one that allows for co-creation and co-authorship. But, she stressed, that kind of engagement requires proper training: students must learn to ask the right questions to help shape ethical, effective AI systems. She also acknowledged the inherent human biases within AI, underscoring the importance of emotional intelligence in its use, and encouraged educators to see AI not as a threat, but as a powerful catalyst for creativity. These efforts and leaders offer models for others to follow. Still, with no federal standards or regulatory framework around AI education in higher ed, progress remains piecemeal. And as employers continue to integrate AI into every layer of their operations, they can't afford to wait for the academic world to catch up. That's why employers must take the lead—not only in setting clear expectations around AI skills, but in ensuring that their hiring and training practices reflect the current educational landscape. Recommendations for Employers The future of work is unfolding faster than higher education can adapt—and graduate students, especially those from under-resourced institutions, are being left to navigate this new terrain alone. Without coordinated action, we risk deepening existing inequities and limiting who gets to lead in an AI-driven world. Employers have a critical opportunity and responsibility to close this gap. By investing in AI training, rethinking hiring practices, and building partnerships with graduate programs, they can help ensure talent and potential aren't lost to outdated systems. At Leadership Brainery, we believe access to advanced education—and the tools to thrive in it—shouldn't be a privilege. As we look ahead, the question isn't whether AI will shape our future. It's whether we'll ensure that everyone has a fair chance to help shape it. Help us widen the pipeline. Support Leadership Brainery in creating equitable pathways to graduate education. Donate today! 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Washington Post
29-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
The first rule in Trump's Washington: Don't write anything down
At the Department of Veterans Affairs, some employees had to sign nondisclosure agreements before reviewing plans for firings and organizational shake-ups. At the Administration for Children and Families, career staff were told not to respond in writing to panicky grant recipients whose funding had been shut off to avoid a 'paper trail,' one employee said.
