Louisiana follows a national trend: No degrees for public jobs

Historically, state and local governments have been prescriptive in their job descriptions, requiring a pre-set level of education, professional experience and even specific skills in various pieces of software.

But that’s changing, reports Route Fifty, an online journal for local, municipal and state governments.

A growing number of governments are dropping degree and years of experience requirements for certain roles, and instead emphasizing skills.

“It doesn’t matter where you go—federal, state or local government—this is what people are talking about,” says Blair Corcoran de Castillo, vice president of Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit that advocates for those in the workforce with skills built through alternative routes to a four-year college degree.

Indeed, since Maryland eliminated degree requirements for half of the state’s public sector jobs via an executive order in 2022, 15 other states have followed suit. 

Louisiana is one of them. In June, Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law a Baton Rouge Area Chamber-supported bill that eliminates the requirement for a baccalaureate degree and limits the necessary relevant experience for most state employment positions. The measure takes effect Jan. 1.

For the public sector,the change is both a reaction to a high level of state and local government vacancies and the realization that many potential employees who could contribute have found the entryway to good jobs, promotions and higher salaries blocked by what’s known as the “paper ceiling.” Route Fifty has the full story.