By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, in collaboration with leaders across Greater Washington, has launched a new initiative to support displaced federal workers as they navigate career transitions. The first of its kind, Talent Capital leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to supply free job-matching, training, re-skilling and career navigation services to impacted workers.
The endeavor follows the conclusion of the 47th president’s deferred resignation program, through which thousands of federal employees accepted buyouts that provided pay and benefits through Sept. 30.
During a press conference on Oct. 1, Bowser said the new platform is an effort to ensure these highly-qualified workers have opportunities to remain in the Greater Washington region.
“What Talent Capital is about is making sure our region is sticky— people love their neighborhoods, their church communities, they love how walkable and bikeable it is, they love the transportation system we have, they love the culture that’s in the city and they build their lives here,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Our job with the TalentCapital is to make sure that they are matching their immense skills with great opportunities that keep them in the region.”
The launch of Talent Capital is not only a direct response to the displacement of federal workers, it’s also a strategy to support Bowser’s growth agenda for Fiscal Year 2026. The plan seeks to grow the D.C.’s local economy by attracting new businesses, creating new jobs and generating new tax revenue— especially in light of the District’s budget shortfalls and ongoing fiscal challenges.
“Our economy is shifting, our workforce is shifting and we will shift with it,” said Bowser. “In some ways, this is a precursor to what could happen in the next talent or workforce revolution that will be spurred by AI. We will be ahead of the curve.”
Greater Washington, which encompasses D.C., Virginia and Maryland, has been disproportionately affected by reductions in the federal workforce. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, federal employment comprised 24.6 percent of jobs in D.C., 5.4 percent in Maryland and 4.4 percent in Virginia.
Between January and May 2025 alone, the region experienced a loss of nearly 22,100 federal jobs, according to the regional Reserve Bank.
Rodney Lusk, chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), explained that the Talent Capital initiative demonstrates a collective effort to address this challenge head-on.
“This platform, TalentCapital.Ai, is more than a tool— it’s a statement. It says we are one region united by shared challenges and shared opportunity. It says we believe in investing in people and building systems that work for everyone,” said Lusk during the Oct. 1 press conference. “More importantly, it says we are not waiting for change, we are leading it.”
Through the initiative, local universities, including the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), George Washington University (GW) and Trinity Washington University, will also be providing free and discounted training programs. UDC, specifically, will offer programs in data science, project management and AI.
With Talent Capital, displaced federal workers in Greater Washington will have the tools to transition into high-demand careers and the region’s workforce pipeline will be strengthened.
“Our region is home to some of the most skilled and talented professionals in the nation. This is our talent capital. Tens of thousands of individuals whose knowledge, creativity and service have powered the federal government, local communities and countless industries,” said Maurice Edington, president of UDC, during the press conference. “Today, as we face unprecedented workforce transitions and a shut-down federal government, this initiative ensures that we don’t lose that talent but instead channel the talent into the jobs of the future right here.”
