Apple Named as Partner in White House’s New ‘Tech Force’
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The White House has announced plans to work with tech companies, recruiting “an elite group of ~1,000 technology specialists” to serve two-year employment terms across agencies in the federal government. Apple will participate in the program, reports Mactrast.
The new Tech Force will assist the government in implementing artificial intelligence across government agencies, while also assisting in solving critical technological challenges. The non-partisan initiative is “centered on serving the American public through better technology.”
The White House announced the plan four days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a national AI policy framework, which was considered a priority for industry leaders who have been forced to deal with the complexities of differing state-level regulations.
The initiative is described as follows on the Tech Force website:
Tech Force will be an elite group of ~1,000 technology specialists hired by agencies to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) implementation and solve the federal government’s most critical technological challenges. Tech Force will primarily recruit early-career technologists from traditional recruiting channels, along with experienced engineering managers from private sector partners, to serve two-year employment terms in the federal government. Tech Force will include centralized organization and programming and serve as a recruiting platform post-employment.
The website’s FAQ section lists Apple as one of the participating firms. Other tech firms listed as participating in the program include: Adobe, Amazon Web Services, AMD, Anduril, Box, C3.ai, Coinbase, Databricks, Dell Technologies, Docusign, Google Public Sector, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Robinhood, Uber, Workday, xAI, and Zoom. The website notes that the list of participants will expand over time.
Apple hasn’t yet commented on the extent of its participation, or whether it plans to nominate any of its employees to join the program.
A traditional degree is not required. Instead, potential candidates should have demonstrated expertise in software engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, or technical project management. While compensation will vary depending on experience level and where candidates are placed, it’s expected to be to range between $150,000 and $200,000, plus benefits.
At the end of their two-year tour of duty, US Tech Force participants can apply to remain on as government employees “for continued federal service,” or return to the private sector.
For those coming from Apple or other tech companies, their ability to return to their previous positions depends on the employer. Participants can’t be simultaneously employed by both the federal government and a private company, but they can be given unpaid leave to serve with Tech Force, in which case their old position should be waiting for them.
However, CNBC reports that participating technology companies have committed to considering all Tech Force veterans for any available open positions, regardless of how they entered the program, so even those who are required to resign from their private employer will have more opportunities available at the end of their service.
“We’re trying to reshape the workforce to make sure we have the right talent on the right problems,” US Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told CNBC’s Squawk Box on Monday.
How to Apply
The recruiting process for the “Tech Force” (make sure to sound like Ted Knight says “Super Friends!” when you say that out loud) includes an initial application, a technical assessment, potential interviews with agency leaders, and a close background check. If you’re interested, you can apply via the application portal and create a USAJOBS profile. When relevant Tech Force job openings are posted, you’ll receive notifications with links that you can use to apply.
Agencies are looking to fill these positions immediately on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply early.
You can find more information about the US Tech Force on the government’s dedicated website.
