Twitter Chat

#HireSTARsChat: Removing the college degree requirement can offer job pathways for millions of STARs

STARs – people Skilled Through Alternative Routes – are the talent pool ready to step in
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Stakeholders gathered today for a Twitter chat to discuss how to ‘tear the paper ceiling’ – unlocking the opportunity to good jobs for people without college degrees.

WorkingNation hosted the hour-long discussion – #HireSTARsChat – in collaboration with Opportunity@Work and the Ad Council.

Opportunity@Work reminds us that in the U.S., more than 70 million STARs – workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes – have skills that are transferable for higher-paid work. Unfortunately, many jobs continue to require a four-year degree, throwing up a barrier to competing for good-paying open jobs.

The nonprofit has long championed the abilities and skills of STARs, and notes there are many options for learning outside the college route.

Opportunity@Work on Twitter: “A1: STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes) can earn skills through military service, community college, training programs, partial college completion, or, most commonly, on-the-job experience. #HireSTARsChatCollege is not the only way to learn. / Twitter”

A1: STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes) can earn skills through military service, community college, training programs, partial college completion, or, most commonly, on-the-job experience. #HireSTARsChatCollege is not the only way to learn.

Cassidy Leventhal, VP with Achieve Partners, says parents and students should check out the array of post-high school options.

Cassidy Leventhal on Twitter: “A1 📣 Check out @4AtoC for alternative pathways to great careers… US families need more options for their kids! #hireSTARSchat / Twitter”

A1 📣 Check out @4AtoC for alternative pathways to great careers… US families need more options for their kids! #hireSTARSchat

Organizations like NPower create greater access to opportunity by providing no-cost IT training.

NPowerOrg on Twitter: “A1:#NPower aims to change the narrative around the value & potential of STARs, creating more equitable opportunities for all. We offer free IT training, industry-recognized credentials & high-quality job placement. 361% average salary increase for NPower graduates. #HireSTARsChat / Twitter”

A1:#NPower aims to change the narrative around the value & potential of STARs, creating more equitable opportunities for all. We offer free IT training, industry-recognized credentials & high-quality job placement. 361% average salary increase for NPower graduates. #HireSTARsChat

Per Scholas is another organization that opens career pathways with free training.

Per Scholas on Twitter: “A1 1/2: @PerScholas empowers learners to launch their tech careers with tuition-free IT training. We prepare them with hands-on, in-demand skills and connections to employers so they can have a high-growth tech career without traditional education and a degree. #HireSTARsChat / Twitter”

A1 1/2: @PerScholas empowers learners to launch their tech careers with tuition-free IT training. We prepare them with hands-on, in-demand skills and connections to employers so they can have a high-growth tech career without traditional education and a degree. #HireSTARsChat

Blue Meridian responded when asked what companies are stepping up to tear the paper ceiling.

Blue Meridian Partners on Twitter: “We’re proud to invest in organizations and strategies that prepare STARs for in-demand, well-paying careers-including @YearUp, @SocialFinanceUS, @PerScholas, @MeritAmerica, and more. #HireSTARs #HireSTARsChat #TearThePaperCeiling / Twitter”

We’re proud to invest in organizations and strategies that prepare STARs for in-demand, well-paying careers-including @YearUp, @SocialFinanceUS, @PerScholas, @MeritAmerica, and more. #HireSTARs #HireSTARsChat #TearThePaperCeiling

Social Finance gives a shout out to the state of New Jersey.

Social Finance on Twitter: “Q2: Stakeholders across sectors are teaming up on innovative initiatives designed to #tearthepapercieling. Some examples? @NJGov’s #PayItForward program: https://t.co/nKbV1FRSxz@Google’s $100M Career Certificates Fund: https://t.co/LQg6MdWrd1#HireSTARSChat / Twitter”

Q2: Stakeholders across sectors are teaming up on innovative initiatives designed to #tearthepapercieling. Some examples? @NJGov’s #PayItForward program: https://t.co/nKbV1FRSxz@Google’s $100M Career Certificates Fund: https://t.co/LQg6MdWrd1#HireSTARSChat

Meanwhile, Alison Lands, director of strategy, SkyHive, points to the state of Maryland.

Alison Lands on Twitter: “#HireSTARsChat A2: Who’s doing it right? Shoutout to @GovHogan and the @StateMaryland for eliminating degree requirements for civil service jobs. Government CAN and SHOULD be an engine of career mobility and upskilling; doing so also reinforces democratic norms (a 2-FER!) / Twitter”

HireSTARsChat A2: Who’s doing it right? Shoutout to @GovHogan and the @StateMaryland for eliminating degree requirements for civil service jobs. Government CAN and SHOULD be an engine of career mobility and upskilling; doing so also reinforces democratic norms (a 2-FER!)

Chat participants offered many reasons why employers should hire STARs. Among them, Daisy Magnus-Aryitey, co-executive director, Code the Dream – who is, herself, a STAR.

Daisy on Twitter: “A3: Employers should “tear the paper ceiling” because STARS exemplify all the characteristics of successful employees: curious, flexible, goal-oriented, committed to learning and growth. #HireSTARsChat / Twitter”

A3: Employers should “tear the paper ceiling” because STARS exemplify all the characteristics of successful employees: curious, flexible, goal-oriented, committed to learning and growth. #HireSTARsChat

Grads of Life notes being inclusive of historically underrepresented populations addresses the issue of equity.

Grads of Life on Twitter: “A3: Hiring #STARs allows companies to create economic opportunities for historically excluded talent which can lead to increased #DEI outcomes and expanded #racialequity across the #labormarket. #HireSTARsChat / Twitter”

A3: Hiring #STARs allows companies to create economic opportunities for historically excluded talent which can lead to increased #DEI outcomes and expanded #racialequity across the #labormarket. #HireSTARsChat

As the chat wound down, WorkingNation founder and CEO, Art Bilger stresses the strength and significance of the STARs talent pool.

Art Bilger on Twitter: “There are currently over 10 million job openings with several open positions due to a skills shortage. It is now more important than ever to start looking into alternative talent pools. Thank you to everyone who joined this critical discussion. #HireStarsChat / Twitter”

There are currently over 10 million job openings with several open positions due to a skills shortage. It is now more important than ever to start looking into alternative talent pools. Thank you to everyone who joined this critical discussion. #HireStarsChat

Just because the chat has ended you can still catch up on all the thoughts shared during this conversation. Keep it going by tweeting your ideas to #HireSTARsChat and #TearThePaperCeiling.


Learn more about Opportunity@Work.
Learn more about the Ad Council.
Learn more about The Paper Ceiling.

Dana Beth Ardi

Executive Committee

Dana Beth Ardi, PhD, Executive Committee, is a thought leader and expert in the fields of executive search, talent management, organizational design, assessment, leadership and coaching. As an innovator in the human capital movement, Ardi creates enhanced value in companies by matching the most sought after talent with the best opportunities. Ardi coaches boards and investors on the art and science of building high caliber management teams. She provides them with the necessary skills to seek out and attract top-level management, to design the ideal organizational architectures and to deploy people against strategy. Ardi unearths the way a business works and the most effective way for people to work in them.

Ardi is an experienced business executive and senior consultant who leverages business organizational transformation through talent strategies. She uses her knowledge and experience to develop talent strategies to enhance revenue and profit contributions. She has a deep expertise in change management and organizational effectiveness and has designed and built high performance cultures. Ardi has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, IPO’s and turnarounds.

Ardi is an expert on the multi-generational workforce. She understands the four intersecting generations of workers coming together in contemporary companies, each with their own mindsets, leadership and communications styles, values and motivations. Ardi is sought after to assist companies manage and thrive by bringing the generations together. Her book, Fall of the Alphas: How Beta Leaders Win Through Connection, Collaboration and Influence, will be published by St. Martin’s Press. The book reflects Ardi’s deep expertise in understanding organizations and our changing society. It focuses on building a winning culture, how companies must grow and evolve, and how talent influences and shapes communities of work. This is what she has coined “Corporate Anthropology.” It is a playbook on how modern companies must meet challenges – culturally, globally, digitally, across genders and generations.

Ardi is currently the Managing Director and Founder of Corporate Anthropology Advisors, LLC, a consulting company that provides human capital advisory and innovative solutions to companies building value through people. Corporate Anthropology works with organizations, their cultures, the way they grow and develop, and the people who are responsible for forming their communities of work.

Prior to her position at Corporate Anthropology Advisors, Ardi served as a Partner/Managing Director at the private equity firms CCMP Capital and JPMorgan Partners. She was a partner at Flatiron Partners, a venture capital firm working with early state companies where she pioneered the human capital role within an investment portfolio.

Ardi holds a BS from the State University of New York at Buffalo as well as a Masters degree and PhD from Boston College. She started her career as professor at the Graduate Center at Fordham University in New York.