New Jersey drops college degree requirement for some state workers

Gov. Phil Murphy plans to expand the state job applicant pools by “prioritizing skills and work experience” over college degrees.

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Apr. 10, 2023

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New Jersey just became the sixth state to loosen education requirements for state employment.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed an executive order Monday ordering the Civil Service Commission to examine which state jobs require a four-year college degree.

Once it has done that, the commission will revive state job education requirements where appropriate.

New Jersey is now the sixth state to loosen its college degree requirements for state workers.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed an executive order Monday expanding state employment opportunities for people without degrees.

“Every American should have the ability to attain a good job with growth opportunities and secure their place in the middle class, regardless of whether or not they have a college degree,” Murphy said in a statement.

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The order directs the state’s Civil Service Commission to spend six months identifying positions that currently require a college degree and figuring out if “skills or work experience” could be used as hiring criteria in place of formal education.

Murphy’s order comes as the state grapples with a national labor shortage as employers struggle to fill job openings. In February, there were 1.7 new job openings for every U.S. worker, a slight drop from January, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“For too many job opportunities, a degree requirement represents a paper ceiling that overlooks qualified applicants who have gained skills through vocational training, community college, military service, and on-the-job experience,” Murphy wrote in a joint letter with Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

Utah dropped four-year college requirements for many state workers last December. Maryland, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and North Carolina have also changed education requirements for state jobs as well.