U.S. federal government prioritizes skills over degrees for IT hiring
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — The Biden administration is overhauling hiring for nearly 100,000 federal IT jobs, shifting to skills-based criteria over traditional college degree requirements.
By summer 2025, the federal government will transition its Information Technology Management series (2210 series) to skills-based hiring principles and practices. The 2210 series accounts for most federal IT positions, which typically mandate rigorous college degrees in fields like computer science, engineering, and statistics.
However, under the new skills-based model, a four-year degree will no longer be a strict requirement where appropriate. Instead, qualifications like apprenticeships, scholarships, and training programs will carry more weight.
“Skills-based hiring is a key priority, particularly with the emergence of new technologies like AI and machine learning,” said Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Deputy Director Rob Shriver.
Addressing cyber workforce shortage
The push for skills-based hiring is driven by the urgent need to fill over 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs nationwide. At a recent White House event on building a strong cyber workforce, government and private sector leaders discussed strategies to expand the talent pool by focusing on skills rather than degrees.
“Americans with the right skills should have the chance to join the federal workforce, regardless of how they gained those skills,” said Shriver.
National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. emphasized that the administration is “leading by example” to ensure more Americans can access cybersecurity jobs, whether as federal employees or contractors.
Contractors included in overhaul
The push for skills-based hiring extends beyond federal employees to contractors as well. The Department of Energy (DOE) is working to remove degree requirements for some contractor roles.
“Contractors are a key part of our workforce. And as we move towards that skill-based hiring, we need to ensure that the same standards that are applied to federal are also applied to contracts,” said Shila Cooch, the chief information officer at Energy’s Office of Science.
U.S. employers want skills over grades in new hires
Most U.S. employers are not focused on grades when hiring recent college graduates, according to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Instead, 88.7% of the 255 surveyed employers said they look for evidence of problem-solving skills and 78.9% seek candidates with strong teamwork abilities.
Additional desired attributes include:
- a strong work ethic
- written and verbal communication skills
- analytical capabilities
- adaptability
- technical skills
The survey also found that internship experience is the top factor when deciding between two equally qualified candidates. However, only 38.3% of employers reported using grade point average (GPA) to screen applicants, a significant drop from 73.3% in 2019.
