A high-ranking U.S. Air Force official met with leaders at Metropolitan State University of Denver on Tuesday to discuss workforce challenges and how higher education can help fill military and civilian talent gaps.
Alex Wagner, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs told MSU Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., and Student Affairs Vice President Will Simpkins, Ed.D., that finding and retaining talent and bolstering the pipeline to jobs in public service are top priorities for the Air Force.
MSU Denver programs such as Aviation and Aerospace Science have an obvious overlap with the work of the military. However, there are civilian roles in the military in meteorology, cybersecurity, information technology and other fields that many people don’t associate with public-service and military careers, Wagner said.
“We have to make opportunities available for those who want them,” he said. “I know many airmen who have a master’s degree, or even two.”
Wagner is one of five assistant secretaries tasked with advising and assisting the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force on specific areas of expertise. Wagner’s responsibilities are similar to those of someone working in talent acquisition and retention in the private sector.
Wagner oversees military and civilian personnel matters for nearly 700,000 reservists, airmen and guardians in the Air Force and Space Force.
He noted that challenges such as retaining top talent and fostering a robust talent pipeline are much like those faced by civilian employers. Diversifying the military’s workforce to represent those it serves is also a priority, said Wagner, who was particularly interested in MSU Denver’s status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
He said creating spaces that recognize a diverse workforce, such as employee resource groups, helps the military retain and recruit more diverse employees.
“It is imperative that the military is diverse at all levels,” he said, noting that most of the Air Force’s Latino officers are commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program.
Wagner’s Auraria Campus visit also included a student-led tour of the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department.
Sebastian Steele, an Aviation and Aerospace Science major, told Wagner and members of his staff about the many majors, concentrations and certificate opportunities that MSU Denver has to offer. Wagner was particularly impressed with the number and quality of flight simulators in MSU Denver’s World Indoor Airport.
He even climbed into one of them to see firsthand the kind of experiential learning that MSU Denver students enjoy. “I saw more flight simulators here than I’ve seen in the Air Force,” said Wagner.