The US just launched a new ‘Tech Force’ to hire AI talent. Here’s what to know

After firing hundreds of thousands of government workers and shuttering several federal tech offices this year, the United States is launching a new programme to hire new top tech talent and close “critical skills gaps” within federal agencies.

The “US Tech Force,” announced this week, aims to recruit the tech and artificial intelligence (AI) talent needed to modernise the US government and “help win the global race for AI dominance,” according to Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which manages the US federal civil service and is overseeing the project.

In a memorandum published on Monday, Kupor wrote that the programme aims to recruit an initial cohort of around 1,000 skilled tech professionals for a pilot beginning in Spring 2026.

It’s not specified if foreign nationals can apply, and the OPM did not immediately respond to Euronews Next’s request for comment.

While the primary focus is on early-career professionals, the programme will also allow more experienced tech workers from participating private sector companies to take leaves of absence to train and mentor Tech Force participants.

Fellowships will last 1-2 years with annual salaries ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 (€127,000 to €169,500), according to the memorandum, with missions ranging from “administering critical financial infrastructure at the Treasury Department to advancing cutting-edge programmes at the Department of Defence”.

After completing the programme, fellows can seek employment with one of around 20 partner companies, which include Amazon Web Services, Apple, IBM, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Oracle. The partner companies haven't made any firm hiring commitments, Kupor said.

He added that employees who are temporarily leaving their jobs in the private sector will not have to divest from their stocks.

The new talent development programme comes at the end of a turbulent year for tech workers in the United States’ public and private sectors.

Several of the government’s existing tech teams – at agencies including the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Defence – were dismantled under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) purge led by Elon Musk.

President Donald Trump also imposed a $100,000 fee (€85,600) on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign nationals in September. The visas are widely held by foreign engineers and scientists who are employed by major US tech companies.

In response, companies such as Amazon and Microsoft warned their employees to stay in the US or face potentially not being let back in.