Five States Join Ambitious Nationwide Effort to 'Tear The Paper Ceiling' and Accelerate Opportunity for Workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs)

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Oct 29, 2024, 09:00 ET

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Louisiana form inaugural cohort led by national nonprofit Opportunity@Work; state leaders will work to create new pathways to economic mobility for STARs in public-sector roles

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- State governments are joining forces to make skills-first talent practices a reality with the launch of "Transformers in the Public Sector" – a first-of-its-kind cohort led by the social enterprise Opportunity@Work. In an effort to help state agencies break down barriers for workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) rather than a bachelor's degree, a group of leaders from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Louisiana will collaborate and receive targeted support focused on refining and implementing skills-first talent strategies over the next 12 months. The initiative, which will also include technical assistance support provided by The Volcker Alliance, aims to provide the cohort with the tools and tactics to make measurable progress toward adopting skills-first practices, paving the way for economic mobility and greater access to government careers for STARs.

"At the local, state, and national level, communities rely on public sector institutions to help solve problems and improve the vital systems we share," said Byron Auguste, CEO of Opportunity@Work. "Removing barriers to opportunities for STARs – typically half of a state's skilled workforce – strengthens state governments and the communities they serve. It's a win-win with wide support across partisan lines. By learning to value skills acquired by any route, states engaged in this work can become more agile, 'skills-first' employers of choice and build an economy that works for STARs and emerging industries."

In the last two years, more than 20 state governments working have passed legislation or taken executive action on skills-first hiring practices, removing degree requirements and college degree screens from public-sector jobs – resulting in over 550,000 more public-sector roles now open to STARs. This shift is particularly impactful given that government roles account for 15% of the U.S. workforce. But despite these changes, public-sector hiring trends still tend to prioritize degrees: STARs, who make up half of the workforce, currently hold only 36% of state jobs, leaving a gap of 1 million jobs that could be filled by these skilled workers if they were given the opportunity.

To address this challenge at the state level, the cohort states will focus on one of two strategic areas — STAR hiring or advancement — setting specific, measurable goals to be achieved over the 12-month engagement.

STAR hiring outcomes include identifying specific roles across a range of domains – from HR to IT to tax preparation – that can be good fits for STARs; as well as designing or refining skills-first interventions and supporting hiring managers and HR teams to access and/or assess candidates based on their skills.
STAR advancement outcomes include implementing state-wide skills mapping standards to ensure skills-first opportunities for advancement based on STARs' demonstration of skills; as well as assessing the current employment status of STARs in specific statewide agencies – and the barriers those STARs face to retention and advancement.

Participants will gain access to exclusive data on their state's workforce, including insights on STARs; receive support in crafting narratives to champion the skills-first movement; and gain technical assistance to support implementation of skills-based talent practices. With new resources, tools, and guidance from industry leaders, the cohort will empower state teams to implement best practices, foster economic mobility, and share solutions with peers facing similar workforce challenges.

"At a time when business and government leaders alike are beginning to recognize the power of skills-driven hiring, the public sector has a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in changing the way STARs are recruited, hired, and supported throughout their careers," said Sara Mogulescu, President of the Volcker Alliance. "This cohort is the next step in a critical effort to build a government workforce that fulfills STARs' tremendous potential, while at the same time addressing state government's urgent workforce needs."

Transformers in the Public Sector is the inaugural cohort of the STARs Public Sector Hub, a non-profit, non-partisan digital resource hub and learning community for government leaders interested in skills-first talent strategies and powered through partnership. The Hub is part of Opportunity@Work's ongoing mission to rewire the U.S. labor market, enabling at least 1 million more working adults in America to translate their learning into earning over the next decade – generating a $20 billion boost in annual earnings. The STARs Public Sector Hub aims to make 400,000 more public-sector job postings available to STARs by 2025, and increase that number to 1 million by 2027.

STARs – who have developed valuable skills through diverse routes like military service, community colleges, and workforce training – are a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of the talent pool in every sector and region. By equipping public sector leaders with essential resources, partnerships, and expertise, this initiative strives to make government hiring more inclusive and unlock new economic opportunities for STARs across the country.

Additional Quotes from the Transformers in the Public Sector Cohort:

Arizona:
"Within the state of Arizona, the vast majority of job descriptions are already open to people without degrees. But we have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to find better, stronger matches between jobs and candidates, no matter how they obtained their skills or whether they have formal education," said Nicole Sornsin, State Human Resources Director with the Arizona Department of Administration."This is about creating better pathways for those workers whose skills align best to critical public-sector roles — while also creating new pipelines into fulfilling state government careers that can help us build a stronger and more resilient workforce."

California:
"CalHR is committed to being the employer of choice for California," said CalHR Director Eraina Ortega. "We recognize four-year degrees are one way for candidates to gain experience, but they can also get it with on-the-job experience. Skills-first hiring will help even the playing field and hopefully attract even more people to apply for a job with the state of California."

Colorado:
"In Colorado, we believe skills-based hiring is crucial for State government. It expands our hiring base by providing an opportunity for candidates to advance in the hiring process based upon demonstrated ability and expertise, as a proxy for educational credentials. By emphasizing skills, we can build a balanced workforce that's well equipped to serve the public and meet the evolving needs of our great state," said Tony Gherardini, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration. "We are proud to help lead the nation in this effort, setting a standard for how government can harness talent more effectively by thinking outside the box, and seeking talented individuals that have practical expertise in a given field."

Connecticut:
"We're proud to have been at the forefront of building a skills-based ecosystem in the public sector that can both expand access to job opportunities and help the state fill critical workforce needs," said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. "Through this initiative, we are excited to not just share our own challenges and success stories with our peers, but also learn how Connecticut can continue working to better support, develop, and retain STARs throughout the state."

Louisiana:
"With this initiative, we are excited to further our dedication to innovation within Louisiana's state government's human resources program," said Byron P. Decoteau, Jr., Director of Louisiana State Civil Service. "By creating new pathways for STARs to join our workforce, Louisiana has a unique opportunity to shape the future of state government. We look forward to fostering lasting relationships with our cohorts, which will enable us to expand opportunities for STARs and ultimately strengthen our ability to serve the citizens of our state."

About Opportunity@Work
Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to rewire the labor market to create economic opportunity for workers skilled through alternative routes (STARS). Opportunity@Work engages with corporate, philanthropic, and workforce partners to directly address the barriers that STARs face, recognize STARs' talent, and eliminate unnecessary degree requirements for open roles. Their Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign with Ad Council brought together a growing coalition of more than 60 corporate and non-profit partners to share hiring insights and launch a national public services advertising campaign to raise awareness of, and support the hiring of STARs. Learn more at www.opportunityatwork.org.

SOURCE Opportunity@Work