Braun signs order removing degree requirements from some state jobs

By ASHLEY FOWLER
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Hoosiers who want to work for the state of Indiana might not need a college degree to get hired.

Braun

Gov. Mike Braun on Wednesday signed an executive order directing the Indiana State Personnel Department to review job postings, determine if a college or graduate degree is necessary to perform the job duties, and “remove degree requirements to the extent possible.”

The degree requirements are to be replaced with “skills or experienced-based alternatives,” the governor’s office said in a release.

According to the order, a shift toward skills-based hiring practices will reduce “unnecessary barriers to state jobs” while providing opportunities to the two-thirds of Indiana residents who do not have a college degree or higher.

Hiring managers are encouraged to emphasize skills-based abilities and experience such as apprenticeships, career and technical certifications, on-the-job-training, and military service rather than degree requirements.

Braun says this will help Indiana address ongoing labor shortages while preparing Hoosiers for high-demand, high-wage careers.

Braun, who in the order describes Indiana as a “hub of world-class educational institutions,” says the state “acknowledges the significant value of postsecondary education while equally recognizing” the contributions of workers who have developed their skills in other ways.

The executive order does not apply to a job classification or posting that is required by law to have specific professional licensure or education, or where performing certain job duties without specific licensure or education would be criminal, illegal, or unethical.

Click here to read the executive order.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/indiana-gov-job-degree-requirements.