Arizona Joins Ambitious Talent Effort to Expand Opportunities for Skilled Workers Across the State
PHOENIX (Oct. 29, 2024) — As part of its efforts to recruit, retain and develop the workforce that supports state operations, Arizona is joining a coalition of state governments working to make skills-first talent management practices a reality as part of the "Transformers in the Public Sector" initiative, a first-of-its-kind cohort led by the nonprofit social enterprise Opportunity@Work.
The unique effort aims to identify opportunities in public-sector employment for workers who have gained valuable skills through routes such as military service, community college, training programs, partial college completion, or, most commonly, on-the-job experience, instead of just through a bachelor’s degree.
“Within the state of Arizona, the vast majority of job descriptions are already open to people without degrees. Postsecondary education is immensely valuable and helps individuals develop important skills, but it is not the only way that potential state employees can build the skills necessary to be public servants. We have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to find better, stronger matches between jobs and candidates, no matter how they obtained their skills or whether they have a postsecondary education or pursued a different pathway,” said Nicole Sornsin, State Human Resources Director with the Arizona Department of Administration. “This is about creating better pathways for those workers whose skills align best to critical public-sector roles — while also creating new pipelines into fulfilling state government careers that can help us build a stronger and more resilient workforce.”
Among the nearly 3 million people who make up Arizona’s workforce, 55% are workers who are skilled through alternative routes, according to Opportunity@Work. Collectively, they represent more than 1.6 million workers who may be overlooked in advancement processes that rely on degrees rather than skills and capabilities. To address that disparity, over the next 12 months leaders from Arizona will collaborate with peers from California, Colorado, Connecticut and Louisiana and receive targeted support focused on refining and implementing skills-first talent strategies.
As part of the cohort, Arizona will focus particularly on advancement and talent management for workers, ensuring that candidates with the best-fitting skills are given opportunities for growth. By creating a statewide standard for skills mapping, the state aims to promote skills-first practices and enable incumbent workers to advance in their careers based on their demonstrated abilities. Additionally, Arizona aims to access and analyze Opportunity@Work’s data to help map pathways for advancement. As part of the cohort, Arizona has already identified roles such as “behavioral health technicians” and “residential program specialists” that may provide increased opportunities for non-degreed workers.
“No matter their location, population, or political affiliation, states across the country are navigating the twin challenge of addressing talent shortages in the public sector while also creating new paths to opportunities for STARs,” said Blair Corcoran de Castillo, Vice President of STARs Policy at Opportunity@Work. “That's what this cohort aims to do: advance skills-first practices that open doors for STARs across the public sector. Arizona is leading the way in ensuring that STARs are recognized and supported — and setting an example for states seeking to build a more inclusive and productive workforce that benefits both STARs and the communities they serve.”
Transformers in the Public Sector is the inaugural cohort of the STARs Public Sector Hub, a non-profit, non-partisan digital resource hub and learning community for government leaders interested in skills-first talent strategies and powered through partnership. The Hub is part of Opportunity@Work’s ongoing mission to rewire the U.S. labor market, enabling at least 1 million more working adults in America to translate their learning into earning over the next decade – generating a $20 billion boost in annual earnings.
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About Opportunity@Work
Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise on a mission to rewire the labor market so all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Our work advances economic opportunities for the more than 70 million U.S. workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) instead of through a bachelor’s degree. Opportunity@Work engages with corporate, public sector, and philanthropic partners through landmark research and labor market data analysis, public awareness and narrative change, and STARs-centric software tools. Learn more at www.opportunityatwork.org.