Clerks have a lot of job experience, whether it’s in local government or another profession, but the results from the iCompass 2014 Municipal Clerks Survey show that a staggering number of Clerks are nearing retirement.
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Over 15,000 Clerks received the survey from across North America - 65% of respondents were over 50 years old and 20% were over 60 years old. While people stopped short of saying they will be retiring soon – it’s a safe to suggest that based on the results you can expect around 50% of Clerks to retire in the next 10 years.
The question when looking at these numbers is – who is going to fill the critical role of the Clerk as a large number of people retire over the next years?
Opportunities Abound!
The survey results underline a big opportunity for Deputy Clerks to advance their careers at new municipalities or as their Clerks retire. And it seems like there’s a large contingent in waiting.
60% of Deputy Clerks that responded fall into the 30-49 year old demographic. But in the under 29 age group, only 1% of respondents stated they were younger than 30.
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Regionally, the results differed very little and there was no disparity between Canada and the US; results point to an aging workforce on an international level. While there’s a large number of Deputy Clerks waiting in the wings, there’s the potential for a shortage, or for people taking positions without the qualification or experience to serve the needs of the community
A Need for Training
Any experienced Clerk will tell you that you can’t just jump into the position. With legislation, and critical tasks making up the day-to-day a lot of pressure is being put on regional clerk associations to provide training and support. The numbers from the Municipal Clerk’s survey point out a need for a heightened focus on recruiting young people to the profession.
One of the big challenges is there are very few places where you go to school to become a Clerk. One of the few examples is at Rutgers University in New Jersey where Clerks from the state association teach foundation courses.
Here’s a link to learn more: http://cgs.rutgers.edu/clerks
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Despite a lack of University Programs designed to train Clerks results from the Municipal Clerks survey on education found about 8 out of 10 Clerks had some form of post-secondary education. Clerks come from different educational backgrounds but doesn’t it seem like more specialized training for Clerks at post-secondary institutions might help to fill the void.
Providing a Foundation for the Next Generation
To facilitate a smooth transition and leave your mark you can never start planning early enough. Here’s a number of local governments we know who have moved to paperless meeting and records management systems. These simple streamlined systems will put a deputy clerk in a position to succeed when a Clerk moves on. Also, as a mentor a Clerk can help train their replacement to ensure the community is well served when they leave.
