Strengthening alignment in education, training, and US forensic science agencies

This paper analyzes the link between forensic science education, new hire training, and workforce stability in public US forensic labs. Data show most employees hold bachelor's (96%) and many have master's degrees (43%), but few are from FEPAC-accredited programs (15% and 24%, respectively). High attrition and short average tenure necessitate substantial training investment. Training loss is significant, as non-viable trainees are often identified after probationary periods expire, delaying performance evaluation and hindering stability. Workforce instability results from misalignment across education, public-sector HR, and work realities. Improving academic preparation, while necessary, is alone insufficient; integrated reform aligning education, training, hiring, probation, and institutional governance is needed for long-term competency, performance, and cost-savings.