As cities across the country face staffing shortages, many local governments are rethinking how they train and support their workforce. A growing number are turning to AI translation to deliver training in multiple languages to make learning more accessible to all employees. It’s a clear example of AI for good and is helping government agencies onboard faster, build skills more effectively, and ensure every team member is set up to succeed.
According to the 2025 State of Language Access in Local Government report, 70% of public officials believe improved language access helps grow a more skilled workforce. Yet for decades, internal staff training for hard-to-fill areas like public health, safety, and compliance has been delivered almost exclusively in English. That’s a major operational gap, and one AI is now uniquely positioned to close.
The Cost of Ignoring Language Needs in Government Training
Local governments are among the largest employers in the country. They oversee everything from community planning and emergency response to marriage licensing and public health. But as the public workforce becomes more diverse, so do their training needs.
Too often, language access is treated as an afterthought. Translation has historically been expensive, slow, and inconsistent. Many agencies have relied on bilingual staff to interpret on the fly, while others have skipped translation altogether. This often leaves some employees without full access to critical information. The result is uneven training and persistent knowledge gaps, which prevent agencies from fully developing the talent already within their workforce.
According to the report, cost remains the biggest barrier to offering real-time language access, with half of officials citing it as their top concern. At the same time, these agencies are expected to build more skilled teams, meet accessibility requirements, and connect with residents in many languages. AI is helping to close that gap and making it possible to do more, with fewer obstacles.
How AI Translation Is Changing the Game
Thanks to advances in natural language processing and speech AI, platforms can now translate and caption live training sessions in 60+ languages without the need for interpreters or transcription teams.
Take Washoe County, Nevada, as an example. They've used AI translation to make employee training more inclusive across departments, from public health to HR. Food safety teams, for instance, can now conduct training with diverse staff members in multiple languages, all at once. It’s faster, cheaper, and more effective. This isn’t just about saving money, it’s about workforce readiness and public safety.
For government agencies, AI translation is a strategic tool for improving how public employees are trained. By enabling real-time, multilingual instruction, AI removes long-standing barriers to understanding. This means faster onboarding, better compliance, and more consistent service delivery while reducing training costs and delays.
Final Thought: Unlocking Potential Through Language
Cities and counties across the country are facing significant labor shortages, worsened by the long-term impacts of the pandemic and an aging workforce. At the same time, many residents remain sidelined from job opportunities because of language barriers that limit access to training and professional development.
By using AI translation, local governments can remove those barriers and make training available in multiple languages. That gives more people a real chance to contribute. This approach not only expands the talent pipeline but also addresses systemic inequities that have kept too many capable individuals on the margins and government from hiring the best talent. When residents of all language backgrounds can fully engage with the curriculum, governments aren’t just filling roles, they’re building stronger, more connected communities.
More importantly, it creates a stronger, more capable workforce. When every employee can fully understand protocols and policies in a language they’re comfortable with, they’re better prepared to do their jobs well. That understanding improves day-to-day operations and creates a workplace where everyone can contribute fully. Better-trained teams deliver better public service, and that raises the standard for entire communities.
About the Author:
Dave Deasy is the CMO of Wordly, the pioneer of AI translation and captioning used by over 4 million people in dozens of languages to make meetings, training, and public engagement more inclusive and effective.
