Gov. Josh Stein has signed a bill that makes it easier to get hired for state government jobs. The legislation will address the high vacancy rate in many state agencies.
It calls for the State Human Resources Commission to review job requirements and create more roles that don't require a bachelor's degree. Stein says that would make it easier for people with military experience or trade school certifications to get jobs.
"The part I'm very excited about is it codifies Gov. Cooper's executive order declaring that a bachelor's degree is not required for every single state job," he said. "This bill brings us one step closer to that goal, because you shouldn't have to go to a four-year college in order to get a good job."
The bill will also speed up the hiring process. Many state agencies have been facing high staff vacancy rates for years. It can take months to get new hires on the job, and by then some applicants have taken other jobs outside state government.
State Human Resources Director Staci Meyer worked on the legislation to address the problem.
"This legislation was passed and will be signed in one day shy of the time that it takes us to hire a state employee: A 182-day average," she said.
Agencies will be able to hire finalists from previous job searches for similar positions. And they'll be able to move temporary employees into vacant permanent positions. State agencies will also get more flexibility to set salary levels.
Local government agencies will be allowed to offer signing and retention bonuses for hard-to-fill positions.
Meyer said she wants a younger generation to seek out government jobs. "I want everyone to know that we are hiring and that we want public-spirited people to join our amazing team and make a difference," she said.
