On Thursday, Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced the Chance to Compete Act, which would require federal agencies to focus hiring practices on the skills job seekers possess rather than whether and where they earned a college degree, according to a press release by Hagerty’s office.
The legislation, which builds upon a Trump-era executive order titled “Reforming and Modernizing the Federal Hiring Process,” redefines “examinations” to include knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies while constraining the use of education when determining if an individual is qualified, according to the press release. It also requires federal agencies to review and update antiquated federal job qualification standards and candidate assessments.
“For too long, the federal government’s hiring priorities have focused on college degrees and institutions instead of if the individual is actually qualified,” Senator Bill Hagerty said in a statement. “Federal workers should be hired based on skills, not just if they have a degree. I’m pleased to have Senator Sinema’s partnership as we seek to modernize our federal workforce, which taxpayers depend on.”
For too long, the federal gov’s hiring has focused on degrees instead of if the individual is actually qualified. Pleased to partner w/ @SenatorSinema to build upon Trump-era executive order that requires federal agencies to prioritize hiring based on skills rather than degrees. pic.twitter.com/kt3dvV4IQg
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) January 14, 2022
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Chair of the Senate’s Government Operations Subcommittee, added, “We’re making federal hiring more efficient and the federal government more effective by removing barriers and expanding opportunities for skilled Arizonans who have the knowledge and experience to work in the federal government, even if they don’t have a traditional college degree.”
In addition to removing the ‘unnecessary’ degree requirements that exclude otherwise qualified Americans from Federal employment, Kyrsten and Hagerty’s bill implements best practices already adopted by the private sector and will allow talented individuals who pursue apprenticeships, have technical training and applicable background experiences to pursue federal civil service, the press release notes.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Kyrsten Sinema” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0.
The proposed Bill assumes facts not in evidence. The hard reality of the Trump years was a hiring of loyal incompetents, usually working for industry as lobbyists and never ever seeking to balance ‘the public interest’ with the needs and wants of industry. Kyrsten Sinema is a confused and probably a compromised elected official while Manchin is a wealthy opportunist more attune to his bottom line than the wants and needs of the vast majority of coal dirt poor constituents who kive on government transfer payments. Amazing how all these GOP controlled states receive more federal dollars per capita than Democratic controlled states.
Bi-partisanship, meritocracy-based hires? It seems like common sense is creeping into the Senate pushing aside the woke agenda. Are the adults finally back in control? Congratulations and thank you to both Senators. If the democrats don’t want Sinema or Manchin both should shift to the Republican party. Schumer would lose the majority position; the democrats would lose leadership positions on all committees. Such a move would be good for the country. there would be no packing the Supreme Court, no massive spending bills tailored to the radical left. The Senate then would also check the jihadists in the House, it would be a much better Congress.
You’re a sad little fellow William. You never got along on the playground with the other kids very well did you? However, I think your wording is backwards. It would seem that Sinema and Manchin are trying to get the democratic party out of hell. D.W.O.O.H. (Democrats-wanting-out-of-hell)!
Throw Sinema and Manchin out of the Democratic Party. If Sinema loves Haggerty so much, she can get the hell out of the Democratic Party to be a R.I.A.B.N. (Republican-in-all-but name)!