NEWS
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Eliminates College Degree Requirement For Most State Jobs
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday signed an executive order eliminating the requirement of a college degree for most state jobs.
I just announced were eliminating college degree requirements for over 75% of state government jobs. Thats good-paying, family-sustaining jobs, Walz posted Monday on X, formerly Twitter. In Minnesota, if youre qualified for a state job, then you have a fair chance at competing for it – with or without a 4-year degree.
According to the governor’s office, state hiring has reached a five-year high, and its hiring needs are forecast to continue despite the tight labor market. The state employs nearly 38,000 people across 1,800 job classes, from administering state programs to plowing snowy roads.
Job postings on the state careers website often require a college degree even if a degree is not necessarily needed to succeed in that job, according to the executive order. The postings are also vague, and don’t have a mechanism to account for job-related lived experiences.
The order calls for updating hiring processes to emphasize skills and work experience over college degrees, and modernizing the careers website and job postings.
State agencies are directed to re-evaluate job requirements and descriptions, to better guide future hiring and interview questions. Agencies will also be required to include a working job title in job postings in addition to the job classification so applicants can better understand the nature of the job.
Agencies are also directed to improve professional development and advancement opportunities for existing state employees.
We’re making sure that Minnesotans can succeed – whether you have a 4-year degree, on-the-job-experience, an apprenticeship under your belt, or military training, Walz said. We’ve always said it, now we’re just showing it: We value hard work, we value experience, and we want you to come and be a part of this.
TMX contributed to this article.
