(The Center Square) – Nearly 30,000 state jobs will no longer have degree requirements in California after a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The state has now removed college degrees or other certain educational requirements for nearly 30,000 state jobs,” a news release stated.
“This effort is part of the Newsom administration’s work to modernize state government and improve the hiring process by removing unnecessary barriers to public service jobs,” according to the release.
The release also announced “a new goal to double” the number of the almost 30,000 jobs void of degree requirements in 2025.
“The proposal for an additional roughly 32,000 positions statewide is currently being negotiated with employee unions and will be submitted for approval in 2025,” the release said.
The California Human Resources Department (CalHR) is the group that evaluates whether a degree or “other educational requirements” are necessary for a job, the release said.
CalHR is the state’s department responsible for things like state employee salaries, job classifications, training, exams, and so forth, according to its website.
Deputy director of communications at CalHR Camille Travis told The Center Square that “CalHR has committed to the policy and ongoing practice of ensuring there are multiple pathways, including without a degree, to most jobs.”
Travissaid that CalHR “has removed barriers to employment from the minimum qualifications [totalling] approximately 176 job classifications to date where a degree or other educational requirement is not necessary, expanding opportunity and access to well-paying jobs in public service.”
“Since 2014, CalHR has worked to simplify the State’s job classification plan via projects that streamline processes and address barriers to state hiring, exam maintenance, bargaining discussions, and pay equity for affected classes,” Travis said.
In the news release, Newsom said that “California is working to ensure that every person has what they need to get a well-paying, long-lasting job so we can build an economy for the future that supports all families.”
“Every Californian deserves the opportunity to build real-life skills and pursue a fulfilling career – including those that don’t require college degrees,” Newsom said.
The decision to remove degree requirements for some jobs is “in line with Newsom’s Freedom to Succeed Executive Order,” the release said.
The executive order is a career education effort intended “to prepare students and adults for the workforce of tomorrow” and “reduce employment barriers for state jobs,” according to a news release on it.
College degree requirements that are “unnecessary to job duties” are some of these barriers.
According to Tear the Paper Ceiling, 50 percent of the American workforce are “skilled through alternative routes,” or, “STARs.”
These 70 million workers do not possess bachelor degrees and most commonly gained their skills through on-the-job experience, Tear the Paper Ceiling stated.
Tear the Paper Ceiling is a campaign by Opportunity@Work that advocates hiring based on skill rather than degrees, according to a release. “If you can do the job, you can get the job,” Opportunity@Work CEO Byron Auguste said in the release.
Sixty-six percent of rural working Americans qualify as STARs, as stated by Tear the Paper Ceiling.
According to a Brookings commentary, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia among others have ceased to require college degrees for even up to 90% of state jobs, depending on the state.
