Should state government jobs require a college degree? Why California is rethinking its rules

Excerpt of an article featuring the Burning Glass Institute

Many California government jobs don’t require a college degree. That list may grow longer as agencies face a rise in job vacancies.

Over the past decade, California cities, counties, and the state government have been changing the job descriptions for thousands of employees — either by removing the requirement for a high school, college, or graduate-level degree or by detailing alternative ways that candidates can gain the same skills. Studies show these changes can benefit workers and employers. 

For instance, janitors no longer need a high school degree to work for the state, and staff services analysts, who help administer many of the state’s programs, no longer need a bachelor’s degree.

But while state leaders and scholars agree about the need for more of these changes, they disagree about the best or fastest way to do it…

Read the full article here