(NewsUSA) - Increasing and upgrading the use of technology in government is essential, but not easy, and it takes more than money, according to Sri Ramaswamy, the Chief Innovation Officer for the NobleReach Foundation, a nonprofit organization that connects top tech talent with government needs. “It takes people, people who understand technology and how it can be applied to create efficiencies, improve service, and upgrade national security,” Mr. Ramaswamy said in a podcast for the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in AI.

The role of technology in government is threefold, said Mr. Ramaswamy.

-Creating new products and services. For example, new technology allows for new ways to treat cancer, or to fight wars.

-Creating new ways of functioning. For example, technology improves efficiency, so any organization, whether it is the government, a company, or a university, can do their jobs better.

-Adapting to the spillover effects of emerging technology. For example, when any technology makes a leap from an experimental stage to the real world, there is a learning curve that is not captured by any one organization, but spills into the economy.

To take advantage of these technologies, the government must tap into pipelines of the best and brightest tech talent and inspire them to get involved and put their expertise to use, Mr. Ramaswamy said.

To help fill the need for top tech talent, NobleReach has created the NobleReach Scholars Program, which recruits engineering and computer science graduates to enter public service for short-term, high-impact stints. This program also can help create “dual citizens,” who can move fluidly between the public and private sectors to maintain America's technological edge, Mr. Ramaswamy explained.

The NobleReach Scholars’ Program is aimed at bringing in up-and-coming tech talent into government work on a shorter-term basis at the start of their careers, without the pressure of a long-term commitment to government work. They can put their technical skills to good use for a year or two and get experience addressing real and serious problems that our government needs to solve to stay competitive.

“Work in the agencies, work with the people who are trying to tackle these problems, learn from them, see what you can contribute, and then you can get out and do whatever you want in your career,” Mr. Ramaswamy emphasized. “Hopefully the service that spirit will stay with you and you'll find more opportunities to serve down the road. That's the spirit of the Scholars Program,” he said.

Visit scsp.ai to learn more about bridging the tech talent gap and other strategies to help improve American security and competitiveness.