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Ill double the size of the foreign service and open new diplomatic posts in underserved areas to broaden U.S. presence. And to get the most bang for our buck, Ill prioritize growing core diplomatic functions like political and economic reporting and public diplomacy, and affiliated functions like the foreign commercial and agriculture services.

Achieving that goal means well need to recruit a new generation of foreign service officers while retaining the talented service we currently have. Heres what Ill do as president. First, Ill establish a diplomatic equivalent of the ROTC program at universities across the country. Ill double the size of the Peace Corps, exposing young people to the world and creating a direct employment pipeline to future government service. Ill grow programs that fund scholarships for critically important languages; and develop or expand similar programs for new skill areas such as data science. And Ill create new pathways to re-incorporate expertise into our diplomatic corps, including by reducing barriers for returning foreign service officers by fast-tracking reentry for those who return within 5 years; and expanding lateral entry and mid-career hiring authorities and pay.

We also need to significantly expand the pool of diplomatic talent so that our foreign service reflects the diversity of the country it represents. Todays foreign service is 79% white and 65% male and the nature of the recruitment process also limits the number of diplomats from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. That changes in a Warren administration. Ill direct the State Department to correct the employment records of all employees fired or forced to resign because of their sexual orientation, to make it clear that all are welcome to serve their country. Ill dedicate recruiting resources to applicants from HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, womens colleges, and community colleges. And Ill double the size of fellowships designed to recruit minority and low-income diplomats.

For all its rewards, a life in diplomatic service can be hard deployments to dangerous places, missed holidays and family events, years spent away from home. We must do more to take care of diplomats and provide growth opportunities over the course of a diplomatic career. My Secretary of State will establish a core professional development curriculum, focused not only on diplomatic tradecraft but also the leadership skills appropriate for each career stage. We will require a broadening professional development experience a graduate degree, interagency assignment, or cross-cone deployment before promotion to the senior diplomatic ranks. And Ill enhance workplace flexibility to retain a diverse workforce, including by expanding parental leave and preferential postings for new parents and improving policies to ease hardships for dual-foreign service households.
Ill make my decisions with input from those who know best formalizing procedures for career civil servants and foreign service officers to advise my Secretary of State on talent acquisition, retention, and other management challenges. No more Tillerson redesign that wastes money on fancy consultants to tell us what our civil servants and diplomats already know.