This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
US Government Shifts Hiring Focus to Skills, Not Degrees ¶
On June 26, 2020, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to modernize the federal recruitment process, shifting the focus from educational credentials to candidates' skills.
According to the executive order, the US government will no longer prioritize candidates with degrees in jobs where having a degree is less important. Instead, the government will assess candidates' specific skills through assessments and interviews.
Speaking on Friday, June 26, during a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, President Trump said, "Moving our hiring focus to skills, not outdated degree requirements, will allow us to better recognize the talents and competencies of all Americans we hire."
Two-thirds of Americans do not have a college degree, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. The executive order aims to address this issue by prioritizing skills over educational credentials.
Michael Rigas, the acting director of the office of personnel management, said, "Trump's executive order directs federal agencies to shift from vetting job candidates based largely on their educational credentials and written questionnaires and move toward using assessment methods that will more directly determine whether they possess the knowledge and skills to do the job."
Source: Getty Images
