New National Accelerator Triples in Size as More Governments Seek Blueprint for Implementing Skills-Based Hiring

Opportunity@Work’s STARs Public Sector Hub members helped STARs earn 13% higher wages than national average, as 15 governments commit to moving from policy to practice

The Transformers in the Public Sector accelerator is tripling from five to 15 participants as state and local governments seek proven strategies to hire, advance, and retain workers based on their skills rather than degrees – ensuring all qualified candidates can compete fairly, including the millions of workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) who have been historically excluded by bachelor’s degree requirements.

Participating states are working to fill the 255,000+ jobs they’ve opened through executive and legislative action, and demand for support is surging: 100% of inaugural participants renewed and 10 new governments joined — including the initiative’s first local government partner. The urgency is clear: as over 62% of public agencies report difficulty finding enough qualified candidates, directly impacting service delivery and operational stability. Yet millions of skilled workers without degrees remain overlooked due to outdated hiring practices.

“The 15 state and local public sector employers joining this cohort are sending a clear message to their constituents: if you can do the job, you can get the job. This is the right message, a motivating message, a smart one,” said Byron Auguste, CEO, Opportunity@Work. “Cities and states engaged in this work can become more agile, skills-first employers of choice, and build an economy that works for emerging industries and STARs – who typically represent half of the region’s skilled workforce. It’s a win-win for city and state governments, STARs, and the communities they serve.”

Led by national nonprofit Opportunity@Work and supported by the Volcker Alliance, the expanded initiative comes as data from the public sector reveals the tangible impact of skills-based hiring: 45% of STAR hires in the STARs Public Sector Hub network gained 10% or more in pay after switching jobs – five points higher than the national average (40%). These wage gains demonstrate the real-world impact of moving from policy to practice.

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The program’s new two-track structure reflects lessons learned from the inaugural cohort, offering tailored support whether governments are just starting their skills-first journey or ready to scale proven practices:

• Track 1, Hands-On Technical Assistance: For the 11 governments already implementing skills-based hiring, providing intensive coaching for critical roles, including budget/finance, HR/data analysis, and IT/cybersecurity. Participants from Arizona, CapMetro in Austin, Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia will receive tailored coaching and hands-on support.
• Track 2, Skills-Based Foundations: For the four governments expanding knowledge across their organizations, offering foundational training and peer support to launch their skills-based transformation. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, California, Illinois, and Wyoming will gain practical tools and leadership development to initiate practice change.

Building on First-Year Momentum

The inaugural cohort’s achievements demonstrate the transformative potential of skills-based practices in government. These concrete actions are already yielding measurable results:

• Arizona trained hiring managers and launched skills-based recruitment for critical frontline roles at the Arizona State Hospital.
• California created comprehensive resources showing STARs clear career pathways in state government and piloted new competency-based civil service exams to center on the skills applicants bring to the table.
• Colorado updated recruitment practices to reflect skills-based hiring across their entire hiring process, while setting clear data metrics to track and measure their progress as they continue to scale skills-based practices across their state government.
• Louisiana conceived of its statewide Shaping How We Invest in Future Talent (SHIFT initiative) with clear messaging about opportunities for workers without degrees.
• Utah built a public-facing skills-based practices page spotlighting STARs succeeding in state government.

These efforts are already opening doors: participating states are making more job postings accessible to STARs, expanding the talent pool for hard-to-fill roles.

“Through our continued partnership with Opportunity@Work, we are equipping public sector leaders with comprehensive support to transform their workforces,” said Sara Mogulescu, President, The Volcker Alliance. “When governments value skills over pedigree, they build stronger institutions while creating pathways to prosperity for workers who have been overlooked for too long.”

Expanding the Movement Nationwide

The cohort brings together 15 governments from across the political spectrum – from California and Illinois to West Virginia and Wyoming – proving that skills-based hiring transcends party lines. This bipartisan momentum aligns with Opportunity@Work’s research showing that looking beyond the degree could help fill 1.5 million public sector jobs with qualified STARs by 2030, addressing critical workforce shortages while expanding economic opportunity.

The initiative directly supports the STARs Public Sector Hub’s goal of making 400,000 more public-sector job postings available to STARs by the end 2026, with participants gaining access to exclusive workforce data, implementation tools, and a growing community of practice that shares solutions to common challenges.

“What we’re witnessing is nothing short of a transformation in how governments think about talent,” said Blair Corcoran de Castillo, SVP of Public Sector and Policy, Opportunity@Work. “From state capitals to city halls, leaders across the political spectrum recognize that STARs represent half their workforce and bring critical skills their communities need. The fact that we’re now working with states and cities, with enthusiastic participation from both parties, shows that tearing the paper ceiling isn’t partisan – it’s pragmatic. It’s how we build a skills-based talent infrastructure that enables government to evolve with changing talent needs and look like and better serve communities.”

Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact

As the expanded cohort begins its work, participants will focus on measurable outcomes in both hiring and advancement, with goals including identifying specific roles across domains that align with STARs’ skills, implementing updates to statewide job classification standards, and addressing barriers to retention and advancement for STARs already in government.

With more than 32 states having already passed legislation or taken executive action on skills-first hiring in the past three years – with the potential to open over 775,000 public-sector roles to STARs – the Transformers cohort represents the vanguard of implementation, moving from policy to practice.