Seeking STARs: Connecticut Joins State Coalition Focused on Skills-Based Hiring

In June of this year, Connecticut joined the growing number of states to relax degree requirements for many state government jobs.

Connecticut lawmakers praised the decision to create more pathways to public sector jobs throughout the state.

“Great talent oftentimes goes underutilized when hiring decisions stringently adhere to conventional approaches to gauging job qualifications,” Connecticut State Rep. Jason Rojas said in a statement issued shortly after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed H.B. 5524 into law, eliminating college degree prerequisites for the majority of the state’s government roles.

“Prospective job seekers can now apply real-world experience and bring that expertise to jobs that provide indispensable services for residents throughout the state.”

At the end of October, the Constitution State took another step toward creating more career opportunities in government for those with the right experience, but without advanced degrees.

On Oct. 25, Gov. Lamont announced that Connecticut is joining a coalition of state governments “working to make skills-first talent practices a reality,” as part of the Transformers in the Public Sector initiative, according to a statement from Gov. Lamont’s office.

Led by national nonprofit Opportunity@Work, the effort “aims to break down barriers to public sector employment for workers who have developed valuable skills through alternative means other than obtaining a bachelor’s degree,” the statement read.

Known as STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) these workers could have come by their necessary skills and expertise through a variety of routes, such as military service, community college, training programs, partial college completion or on-the-job experience, for example.

STARs comprise close to 50% of Connecticut’s 1.7 million-member workforce, according to the statement from Gov. Lamont’s office. As part of the Transformers in the Public Sector cohort, the state will “focus specifically on efforts to advance STARs in the public sector workforce.”

This effort will include a focus on broadening the state’s efforts to understand the current state of employment, as well as removing barriers to retention and advancement for STARs within three state agencies—including the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Social Services. Gov. Lamont’s office also noted that state leaders intend to gather broader data on Connecticut’s workforce, and explore ways to developing “compelling narratives on the skills-first approach, drawing on the experiences and challenges faced by other states.”

In the aforementioned statement, Gov. Lamont expressed his pride in helping to put Connecticut “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.”

Through the Transformers in the Public Sector 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 state government.”