Training needs in data, informatics and technical skills in the US governmental public health workforce

A workforce with data and technology skills is vital to support digital transformation in public health (PH). Using US-based 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) national survey data, this study examined informatics/data skills gaps and training needs of governmental PH workers.

2024 PH WINS included data from 48 state health agencies-central office (SHA-CO), 34 large local health departments (LHD) from Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), and 1,144 other LHDs. Analysis focused on non-supervisory Tier 1 respondents, their education and position. PH workforce classifications (N = 77) were grouped into five categories. Training needs defined as discordance between job importance and skill need (high importance/low skill). Gaps were assessed for six data/informatics-related questions using SAS v9.4, along with time and resource needs.

Of 56,595 respondents, 72% (N = 40,914) worked in Tier 1 roles. Across three PH settings, half (45-54%) had BS/MS/PhD degrees, but not in public health. Half (50-52%) worked for 0-5 years in current position; one-third had 0-5 years in PH practice. Data/informatics-related roles reported least technical skill gaps across all settings: SHA-CO (8.1%), BCHC (6.9%) and LHD (8.1%). For addressing training needs, nurses self-reported most need for time, and data/informatics roles indicated high resource needs (22% BCHC; 20% LHDs). Analysis showed significant skills gaps (p < 0.05) in SHA-CO for all the six data/informatics topics.

Results highlight a widespread training need in incumbent PH workforce to address the data-related/technical skills gaps. Multi-pronged training approaches are critical to building a data and informatics-savvy PH workforce.