Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management today released a report called Making the Grade: The Story of an Increasingly Well-Educated Federal Workforce, the second in a series of reports that take a deep dive into the data gathered through the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). This year, for the first time, the OPM-administered survey gathered information about employees’ level of education. The agency’s analysts were able to use that data to provide insights into how people further their education during their Federal careers. The report illustrates how varying levels of education affect employees’ opportunities to advance, their financial health and the contributions they are ultimately able to make to their organizations.

The 2014 FEVS results showed us that Federal employees are motivated to learn and continue their education while they build their careers in public service. Of the survey respondents who entered the Federal workforce a decade ago, 39 percent have increased their education to some extent. The most dramatic increase was among employees who started their Federal service with a high school diploma (about a quarter of the workforce). Of those employees, the vast majority - 86 percent - improved their educational status over 10 years.

“Investing in the development of our workforce is not only critical in maintaining a competitive and well-equipped workforce, it is also a very useful tool to recruit and retain our employees,” said OPM Director Katherine Archuleta, “From resume to retirement, I want to make sure that we provide the tools that employees need to develop and to succeed.”

The Obama Administration understands how important it is to support employee development as a means to engage employees and strengthen the Federal workforce, which is why OPM has worked with agencies to support their efforts and provide them with additional opportunities. Through programs like HR University and mentoring programs, agencies are working together to develop and share resources that offer these opportunities.

To access Making the Grade: The Story of an Increasingly Well-Educated Federal Workforce and the full 2014 FEVS survey please visit the FEVS website.