I'd like to help how I can.

Sometimes it's just the path of least resistance to use what you already have.

I remember putting in a request to install Python. It took me 6 months to get a response of no. I had the opportunity to appeal with more information on the use case, but I just did it in VB for Excel at that point.

Good luck with your (hopefully) next job!

Never going to get good junior devs at that price point. Don't get me started on security clearance requirements in addition to low wages...

The fix is to provide competitive wages, but the politics of it is difficult.

It's hard to get traction though when the folks making the decisions feel threatened that a 25 year old is going to be making the same as them and be the same "rank".

I think part of the solution needs to be creating it on a separate scale than GS, similar to an SL or ST position, but geared specifically towards knowledge workers. That's a solution that would probably require congressional involvement though...

I've got a great relationship with my current employer, so I've mentioned this career progression issue to them in my exit interview and it's something that middle management is tracking, but getting corporate leadership on board to change their thinking is difficult since our revenue is driven by billable work on a man hour basis. This creates an incentive for people to build teams of direct reports under them and grow a business line/contract to increase revenue in order to show value and accelerate career growth.

Until the company can get more service contracts where they're selling software/licenses/support instead of butts in seats, I don't see this paradigm changing any time soon.

Very interesting how business models drive things like this. Obvious in hindsight, but still interesting to think about in terms of incentives driving org structure.