Public sector jobs have long been regarded as a pathway to purpose, stability and upward mobility. Yet for more than 70 million workers skilled through alternative routes (STARs) who do not have a four-year degree, these roles often feel unattainable.
It’s a missed opportunity on both sides — for workers seeking meaningful careers, and for the public sector as an employer, which misses out on untapped talent with fresh perspectives, lived experience, and innovative solutions to complex public challenges.
Public institutions face a growing workforce crisis, with aging talent pipelines and persistent recruitment challenges. At the same time, STARs are eager to build a career but often face a lack of awareness of government roles, navigating overly convoluted hiring processes and experiencing candidate evaluation systems that were not designed with them in mind.
To close this gap, SkillUp has joined forces with Opportunity@Work to improve how STARs access public sector employment, navigate the complexities of applying within this domain, and advance in public service. Together, our organizations are scaling existing solutions and platforms to raise awareness, shift perceptions and drive action to get more STARs to explore and land government careers.
“This partnership is about opening doors to careers that often go unseen,” said Elissa Salas, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations at SkillUp. “Public sector jobs — especially those tied to essential services or protected by unions — have long offered stability, purpose, and pathways to upward mobility. Even amid budget cuts, these roles remain critical. We’re committed to helping STARs see these opportunities as not only real and within reach, but also worth aspiring to, and showing them exactly how to get there.”
Public sector roles often default to degree requirements that screen out qualified candidates who have the skills to succeed in the job. Research shows that government employees hold degrees at a higher rate than private sector employees, and state and local government employees hold them at higher rates than their federal counterparts. STARs make up the majority of the workforce, yet people without a four-year degree are often overlooked due to hiring systems that prioritize credentials over competencies. Our aim with Opportunity@Work is a direct response to that disconnect — it’s time to tear the paper ceiling and create a new standard where skills, not degrees, are the currency of opportunity.
That starts by addressing the public sector’s career exploration crisis head-on, which we will do through:
- Improved visibility: SkillUp’s platform now spotlights public sector roles prominently, with clear job descriptions, state partner highlights, helpful FAQs and educational resources, and useful filters that help STARs find jobs that align with their skills.
- STARs-led storytelling: We will lift up real STARs who work in public service to show what’s possible and inspire others to follow similar paths.
- Action-oriented user experience: From simplified application guidance to expanded public sector job feeds, we will focus on barrier removal and give STARs tools that encourage and enable action.
“We chose to work with SkillUp because they meet users exactly where they are — offering trusted tools, curated resources, and a deep understanding of the STARs experience,” said Blair Corcoran de Castillo, Senior Vice President of Public Sector and Policy at Opportunity@Work. “To build a public sector workforce that truly reflects and serves our communities, we must tear down outdated barriers and create inclusive, skills-first pathways.”
Designed to be scalable and informed by lived experience, Opportunity@Work’s Transformers in the Public Sector cohort will pilot this work. Participating states, Arizona, California, and Colorado, will be the first to utilize the platform to expand their talent pools and gain additional visibility for open state governmental jobs.
“In Colorado, we believe skills-based hiring is crucial for State government. It expands our hiring base by providing an opportunity for candidates to advance in the hiring process based upon demonstrated ability and expertise, as a proxy for educational credentials. By emphasizing skills, we can build a balanced workforce that’s well equipped to serve the public and meet the evolving needs of our great state,” said Tony Gherardini, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration. “We are proud to help lead the nation in this effort, setting a standard for how government can harness talent more effectively by thinking outside the box, and seeking talented individuals that have practical expertise in a given field.”
Our work together builds on SkillUp’s commitment to support STARs to obtain high-quality careers via trusted, data-driven tools. It’s also a natural extension of Opportunity@Work’s leadership to advance skills-based hiring and unlock opportunities for STARs.
“We’re trying to change both how STARs view public sector jobs and how the public sector sees STARs,” said Salas. “We need to open the door to public service for more of America’s workforce.”
We invite more states to join us. To learn more about how to begin or advance your skills-first talent practices, join the STARs Public Sector Hub.
