Gov. Mike Dunleavy made a smart decision last week when he issued an administrative order directing state personnel officials to review and change job requirements where appropriate so that applicants could more easily substitute “practical experience” for a college degree.
Almost one in six state government jobs were vacant in December, according to the governor’s Office of Management and Budget. The most empty desks were at one of the most important agencies: Almost one in four positions at the Department of Natural Resources were vacant in December.
It’s a problem in need of a solution, particularly since Alaskans expect and need the services those missing employees would provide.
Labor shortages “are impacting the delivery of essential state services,” the governor’s order said. “This unprecedented demand for labor throughout the state requires the government to be flexible in recruiting, hiring and retaining a talented and able workforce.”
Yes, on all counts.
“Today people can gain knowledge, skills and abilities through on-the-job experience,” the governor said. “If we’re going to address our labor shortage, we have to recognize the value that apprenticeships, on-the-job training, military training, trade schools and other experience provides applicants. If a person can do the job, we shouldn’t be holding anyone back just because they don’t have a degree.”
The Department of Administration, which manages state personnel rules, said it did not know exactly how many jobs currently require a degree, but it will review all 647 job classifications, representing thousands of employees, to see which degree requirements could be removed. The department said the reviews will be ongoing, with no set timeline to complete the work.
Alaska joins several states that have removed college degrees as a requirement for many state jobs, including Maryland, Pennsylvania and Utah.
Alaska legislators also see the hiring problem and are looking at what they can do to help. The state Senate Labor and Commerce Committee has been holding hearings about workforce challenges facing public and private employers. Julie Sande, commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, told the committee on Jan. 20 that solving the worker shortage will take a big effort.
“We recognize if we don’t have a healthy workforce, if we don’t have housing, if we don’t have child care, we aren’t going to be able to effectively move the economy forward for the state,” she told the committee.
The commissioner is right, the lack of housing and child care are among the biggest problems holding back the workforce. Those will take time to answer. In the meantime, the governor’s decision to hold work experience as an equal to college in some jobs is a solid step forward.
— Wrangell Sentinel
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