4 times employers ditched 4-year degrees in 2023
American employers in both the private and public sectors have dropped degree requirements and are favoring applicants with desirable skills sets.
Four-year degrees are no longer as reputable as they used to be, and many employers have begun to drop their four-year degree requirements in favor of practical skills over an educational background.
Campus Reform has compiled a list of the top 3 times this year employers have ditched four year degrees.
1. Virginia is latest state no longer requiring college degrees for government jobs
Virginia is the latest in a movement of states no longer requiring degrees for most state jobs.
On May 30, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a “landmark change in how state agencies will recruit and compete for talent by eliminating degree requirements, preferences or both for almost 90% of state classified positions.”
2. Pennsylvania Governor drops four-year degree requirements for government jobs
Pennsylvania’s new Governor Josh Shapiro issued an executive order last week that removes four-year degrees from 92% of government jobs.
Shapiro stated that this initiative will open approximately 65,000 jobs in the state to those without college education, he announced on Twitter.
3. Latest trends underscore declining value of degrees in global job markets
Once considered essential for landing a good job, college degrees have become increasingly less mandatory for various work opportunities.
According to new data from LinkedIn, the number of job postings that do not require a college degree rose 90% between 2021 and 2022 in the U.K. Instead, employers have begun preferring candidates with desirable skill sets over a traditional 4-year college degree.
4. SURVEY: Nearly half of employers plan to drop 4-year degree requirements in 2024
New data shows that American employers are dropping traditional four-year degree requirements in droves, with over half of surveyed companies saying they dropped bachelor’s degree requirements this year.
A recent survey from college statistic website Intelligent.com reveals that 45% of companies say they plan to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements for at least some positions in 2024.