ATLANTA — A bill at Georgia's House would remove the requirement of a college degree – for some state jobs.
This week, the House voted unanimously to pass SB 3, sending it to Governor Brian Kemp's desk for signature. The Georgia Senate previously voted on the legislation in February.
The Reducing Barriers to State Employment bill would require the state to review job training requirements for state government jobs. It would also help agencies identify jobs, where qualifications can be reduced. Additionally, it would not require a four-year college degree – unless necessary.
Sen. John Albers, a Roswell Republican sponsoring the measure, said that the bill is needed to not lose out on Georgia's brightest and best employees.
"If the qualifications are not right, we as a state may have lost out on what could have been a phenomenal employee. So our goal is to consistently evaluate, be transparent and make government more efficient," Sen. Albers said.
The bill follows a recommendation in a state workforce report published by the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), where they list modifying job qualifications by removing college degree and certification requirements to better attract employees.
According to the DOAS report, the state employee turnover rate in the 2022 fiscal year was at another all-time high – exceeding 25% for the first time.