For decades, many employers have treated a bachelor’s degree as a default hiring requirement or a quick filter for competence, but that filter has become a barrier. Over 70 million workers have valuable skills earned through on-the-job training, community college, vocational training programs, or other alternative routes to a bachelor’s degree. These workers, known as STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes), make up roughly half of the U.S. workforce. Skills-based practices, also called skills-first practices, flips the script. Instead of asking “What degree do you have?” it asks, “What can you do?” It’s a simple but transformative idea: if someone has the skills, they should have the opportunity.
The Case for Skills-First Practices: Tearing the “Paper Ceiling”
According to Opportunity@Work (O@W), a national workforce organization leading the national “Tear the Paper Ceiling” campaign, nearly half of all STARs possess skills that qualify them for higher-wage work today. Yet, these individuals are often restricted from this upward mobility due in large part to traditional hiring filters, limited professional networks, and degree bias.
The “Tear the Paper Ceiling” Campaign proposes that hiring for skills is 5 times more predictive of job performance than hiring for education and 2.5 times more predictive than hiring for work experience. Furthermore, hiring managers who prioritize skills in recruitment are 60% more likely to find a successful hire, helping to lower the significant costs associated with high turnover.
When employers look past the “paper ceiling,” they widen their access to qualified talent and find people with proven capabilities, loyalty, and on-the-job resilience. Hiring candidates based on these qualities often leads to higher retention and stronger teams.
Building Pathways for Growth
Skills-based hiring is just the first step. Opportunity@Work and its partners emphasize skills-based job pathways, the routes employees can take to move up based on skill growth over credentials.
Over the past 20 years, though, STARs have lost access to nearly 7.4 million middle and high-wage jobs that used to be available for them due in large part to rising degree screens. Rebuilding those routes means mapping how skills connect across roles and industries and ensuring training programs, certifications, and on-the-job learning are recognized.
When employers intentionally design internal mobility pathways, they gain adaptable, engaged talent pipelines while workers gain sustainable careers.
Cincinnati’s Skills-Based Workforce
Cincinnati is well-positioned to lead this movement. Opportunity@Work’s STARSight platform data shows that more than 500,000 workers in the metro area are STARs. Many already hold the skills for higher-wage roles in crucial sectors for the region’s economy including healthcare, logistics, and operations.
The Workforce Innovation Center at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber also spotlighted Gen Z STARs in the latest installment of the Gen Z in the Workforce in the Cincinnati Region white paper series. The findings are clear:
- The majority of jobs in the Cincinnati region don’t require a four-year degree, yet degree bias still limits access to high-wage work for many STARs.
- Gen Z STARs are hungry for opportunities to develop their careers. They place a high value on transparency, mentorship, and growth opportunities at work.
- Purpose and flexibility are two of their most desired qualities from work, and they expect their skills, not their credentials, to be recognized.
By adopting skills-first practices, Cincinnati employers can open doors to a rising generation of talent, strengthen their existing workforce, and contribute to a stronger regional economy.
What Employers Can Do
1. Re-write job descriptions
Focus postings on demonstrable skills, not default degree requirements. Define what success looks like in measurable terms.
2. Broaden sourcing
Partner with community colleges, workforce programs, and certificate or apprenticeship providers to engage with STARs.
3. Assess skills directly
Use practical assessments or work samples to evaluate capability. Skills-based methods are more accurate predictors of success.
4. Invest in development and mobility
Offer mentorship and clear advancement paths tied to skill acquisition. Retention rises when employees see a future.
The Future of Work
The need for skills-based practices in employment continues to grow as the nature of work evolves. Technology is changing roles faster than traditional education pipelines can adapt, and employers need more flexible ways to reach and engage talent. Many industries also face ongoing talent shortages, and organizations can no longer afford to overlook millions of capable workers who developed their skills through experience, training programs, or alternative routes.
Additionally, Generational expectations are also reshaping hiring. Looming college enrollment cliffs and rising skepticism about the value of a college degree from members of Gen Z are indicative of a landscape shift in career qualifications. This generation seeks opportunities to develop and contribute to a feeling of purpose, not simply to meet degree requirements Regions like Cincinnati that embrace this mindset will be better positioned to attract, retain, and grow the next generation of talent. As Opportunity@Work’s data shows, even small shifts, such as removing unnecessary degree filters from job postings, can open thousands of new opportunities for local workers
Regions like Greater Cincinnati that embrace this mindset will be better positioned to attract, retain, and grow the next generation of talent. As Opportunity@Work’s data shows, even small shifts, such as removing unnecessary degree filters from job postings, can open thousands of new opportunities for local workers.
Strengthen your Workforce
The future of hiring isn’t about what someone has on paper; it’s about what they can do. Skills-based hiring recognizes potential, values experience, and creates stronger, more resilient workforces.
For employers and workforce leaders, now is the time to tear the paper ceiling and recognize the value of the millions of STARs powering our economy every day. By focusing on skills, Greater Cincinnati and peer regions across the country can unlock opportunities for workers, help employers grow, and contribute to stronger local economies.
If you want to learn more about how to engage STARs in your workplace, let’s work together. We’re here to help you address your workforce needs including removing hiring barriers and accessing previously overlooked workers with the skills to help your organization thrive.
By: Jackson Fort
Coordinator, Workforce Innovation Center at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber
Sources:
Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
Gen Z in the Workforce in the Cincinnati Region white papers
