'We want people to come in and qualify off of life experience': New executive order aims to hire those with job experience rather than degrees

Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order Monday, encouraging more people to apply in state government and prioritizing work experience over having a formal degree.

The order took effect immediately and will help fill the currently 1400 available government jobs across the state.

The goal of the order is to make it easier to get a job in government and expand the labor pool, which has seen a 40% drop in job applications for state government jobs since the start of the pandemic.

"The state vacancy rate has gone up a fair amount," said Blake Thomas, General Counsel at the NC Office of Human Resources. "Which is a sobering statistic for us."

The order's main focus will be to help with the employment of DOT workers, healthcare workers with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Corrections.

"We really want people to come in and qualify off of life experience," Thomas said. "Military experience, anything you've done in your life that's helped you know how to do that job."

The move could help people like Tessa Barnes, who's spent months job hunting as a web designer, find the perfect fit for her experiences.

"It's been rough," Barnes, a Raleigh native, said. "I've landed a few interviews here and there."

With over 75% of state jobs not requiring a higher education degree, and the state allowing work experience to substitute for education, Barnes now has options.

"Even with product design, there's still a lot of benefit looking through the state," Barnes said. "Whether it's website development, so people can easily navigate the information that's needed."