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Alaskans will no longer need college degrees for most state jobs, under an issued Tuesday by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

The action is needed because of the labor shortage that affects Alaska and the nation, Dunleavy said in a statement.

鈥淭oday people can gain knowledge, skills and abilities through on-the-job experience. If we鈥檙e going to address our labor shortage, we have to recognize the value that apprenticeships, on-the-job training, military training, trade schools and other experience provides applicants. If a person can do the job, we shouldn鈥檛 be holding anyone back just because they don鈥檛 have a degree,鈥� the Republican governor said in the statement.

The administrative order instructs the state鈥檚 personnel managers to review job classifications and positions and identify those for which practical experience or alternate training is an appropriate substitute for college degrees. Future job postings will list relevant experience that can substitute for college degrees when reasonable, according to the order.

Labor shortages 鈥渁re impacting the delivery of essential state services,鈥� the order said. 鈥淎t present, there are not enough qualified applicants to fill all the state鈥檚 job vacancies. This unprecedented demand for labor throughout the State of Alaska requires the government to be flexible in recruiting, hiring, and retaining a talented and able workforce capable of serving the people of Alaska.鈥�

With Dunleavy鈥檚 order, Alaska joins a list of states that have formally removed college degrees as requirements for most state jobs. Others include , and .

State lawmakers, meanwhile, are contemplating steps to address the state鈥檚 labor shortage.

The state Senate Labor and Commerce Committee has been holding a series of hearings about workforce challenges in both the public and private sectors. So far, the committee has heard from state commissioners and agency directors, municipal government officials, business representaves, educators, health care providers and others.

The workforce challenge has been a 鈥渞esounding theme over and over,鈥� Julie Sande, commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, told the committee on Jan. 20, during the first of those hearings.

Meeting the challenge will require a wide variety of policies and responses, Sande said.

鈥淲e recognize if we don鈥檛 have a healthy workforce, if we don鈥檛 have housing, if we don鈥檛 have child care, we aren鈥檛 going to be able to effectively move the economy forward for the state of Alaska,鈥� she told the committee.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: [email protected]. Follow Alaska Beacon on and .

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