GOVERNOR: Experience can replace degree for most state jobs

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) - Governor Roy Cooper has removed another obstacle stopping many people from applying for jobs in state government Monday. The governor signed Executive Order 278 which allows applicants to use real-world experience in place of a required degree for many state jobs.

“You don’t necessarily need to have a degree to be great at your job and North Carolina is in need of talented people who can get things done,” Governor Cooper said. “This order makes it clear that we recognize the value of work experience and don’t want the lack of higher education to be a barrier to starting or advancing in a state career.”

While not all jobs will allow applicants to use experience instead of having a degree, this order directs the Office of State Human Resources to review state jobs that do not allow experience to be used instead of a degree to determine whether a degree is actually required to do the job.

A statement will be added to job postings that will allow experience to be used in lieu of a degree specifying that directly related experience can be used in place of education.

The state says about 75% of current state jobs either do not require a degree or already allow for experience to be used in place of a degree.