Philadelphia’s new mayor this month signed an executive order removing college degree requirements for “many” city jobs.
“We will continue to remove college degree requirements for many City of Philadelphia jobs where it is unnecessary,” newly inaugurated Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat, states in her 100-day action plan, an all-encompassing blueprint to solve many of the city’s struggles.
The college degree easement is listed under “economic opportunity,” and notes the effort to revoke requirements was already underway, but will go through an expansion. The city government will also better publicize jobs that do not require degrees, according to the plan.
Higher Ed Dive reports she signed the executive order “hours after her inauguration” Jan. 2.
The move comes one year after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, eliminated bachelor’s degree requirements for 92 percent of state positions.
It also furthers a trend seen nationwide among government leaders rescinding college degree requirements for jobs.
In 2022, Republican governors Spencer Cox in Utah and Larry Hogan in Maryland also eliminated degree requirements for many state jobs, as reported by The Fix last year.
Higher Ed Dive reports:
Public sector employers aren’t the only ones shifting their candidate requirements. Walmart, for example, announced last fall that it would drop degree requirements for some corporate roles.
Companies are embracing the change across a range of titles and levels: 55% of employers in an Intelligent.com survey said they had dropped degree requirements for entry-level and mid-level positions.
MORE: Bachelor’s degrees have become optional for more jobs across industries
IMAGE: Philadelphia government
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