The State of Massachusetts is eliminating college degree requirements for more than 90% of its job postings, putting more emphasis on skills-based hiring practices.
In January, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order only allowing degree requirements to be part of a job posting "when absolutely necessary" to the performance of the role being sought.
By doing so, the governor’s office said, the administration puts the focus on the applicants’ skills, knowledge and abilities instead of educational credentials.
"As the state’s largest employer, we rely on a strong, diverse workforce to deliver crucial services and programs for Massachusetts residents, businesses and communities every day. But too many job applicants are being held back by unnecessary degree requirements," Healey said. "This Executive Order directs our administration to focus on applicants’ skills and experiences, rather than college credentials. It will expand our applicant pool and help us build a more inclusive and skilled workforce than ever before. Our administration is leading by example, and we encourage the business community to join us by adopting similar skills-based hiring practices."
The governor’s executive order also ensures hiring managers will get the training and tools needed to implement the new hiring strategy.
All agency managers will be required to take a skills training class intended to make sure all job postings and interview questions promote the skills, knowledge and abilities of candidates.
Previously, job postings specified a minimum level of education to be considered for a position.
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Currently, only 7% of the jobs posted on the state’s website require an education requirement. It will be up to the Human Resources Division to routinely review positions to determine if education requirements are necessary.
"Our administration recognizes that job applicants have a wide range of skills and that nobody can be reduced to a line on a resume," Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll said. "We have so many jobs across the state that need to be filled, and we have qualified, talented workers who want them. We just need to lower the barriers to entry, which is exactly what this Executive Order aims to do."
Healey’s order comes as American businesses are increasingly eliminating college degrees as part of their requirements for corporate roles, de-emphasizing the value of a four-year diploma.
American companies like Walmart, IBM, Accenture, Bank of America and Google have all announced plans to reduce the number of jobs requiring a college degree.
Walmart has eliminated college degrees as a requirement for hundreds of its corporate roles, vowing to remove "unnecessary barriers" that prevent career advancement. The company also announced it would waive the university degree as a necessity if candidates can show they have gained the necessary skills based on different, prior experience.
Between 2017 and 2019, 46% of "middle-skill occupations" and 31% of "high-skill occupations" saw a drop in college degree requirements which "could have major implications for how employers find talent and open up opportunities for the two-thirds of Americans without a college education," according to a report from the Burning Glass Institute. In line with the trend, the report projected the move could open up 1.4 million jobs for American workers without college degrees over the next five years.
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The cost of a college degree has skyrocketed in recent years in conjunction with the millions of Americans who are burdened by thousands of dollars of debt, which has prompted corporations to switch to so-called "skills-based hiring" methods.
Fox News Digital's Kendall Tietz and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
