News

There is a growing consensus in America around the need to hire employees with non-traditional education credentials. Unfortunately, the federal government has an overreliance on college degrees to the detriment of capable candidates and labor-market efficiencies.
 
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced the Federal Skills Act to modernize federal hiring practices and expand federal workforce opportunities to qualified Americans with alternative education credentials, relevant experience, or demonstrated abilities. 
 

• “For far too long, we have used the completion of a traditional four-year college degree to determine whether someone is qualified or not for a job. This arbitrary requirement prevents the federal government from hiring otherwise qualified workers, including many Americans from low-income backgrounds. This is a common-sense change that is already happening in the private sector and in state governments across the country.” – Senator Rubio

 
Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) is a cosponsor.
 

• “The federal government should be opening its doors to candidates with the skills required for the job, not simply an expensive college degree. This bill is about providing an opportunity for a more diverse cross-section of Americans to join the civil service.” – Senator Budd

 
Related: 

• June 2021: Rubio Introduces Bill to Remove Traditional Education Bias and Expand Skills-Based Hiring of Federal Employees
• June 2020: Rubio Applauds Administration’s Executive Order Mirroring His Proposal to Modernize the Federal Government’s Hiring Practices
• February 2020: Senators Rubio, Klobuchar, and Representative Dunn Applaud Signing of their Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act into Law
• May 2019: ICYMI: Our Nation’s Veterans Are a Perfect Match for STEM Jobs