Rise with the STARs
Download our report on building a stronger workforce by switching to a skills-first hiring strategy.
Increasingly over the past few decades, employers have overlooked workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes rather than a bachelor’s degree—or STARs. This exclusionary degree screening practice limits an employer’s supply of qualified talent while blocking access to economic mobility for half the workforce. The resulting opportunity gap means a STAR can work for 30 years before earning the same wage a college graduate makes on their first day.
Why switch to a skills-first hiring strategy that includes STARs?
Access to career mobility for STARs impacts the workforce on a massive scale—from your business to the nation at large.
Managers overestimate the prevalence of college degrees due to personal experience, and this bias affects hiring decisions.
Creating economic equity for STARs requires the commitment of several groups, including legislators, workers, and employers.
Bridge the growing opportunity gap
From 2000 to 2020, the share of jobs with wage growth potential held by stars declined from 54% to 46%. The drop represents 7.4 million high-quality roles that STARs had the skills to perform but were disqualified from attaining. Those roles are now filled primarily by college graduates.
Making matters worse? The relatively few STARs that are able to move into middle- and high-wage jobs make less than their college graduate counterparts in the same role.
Which roles create pathways to mobility?
While STARs have lost access to almost 7.5 high-wage roles over the past two decades, our research identified 30 gateway and destination jobs that can lead to economic mobiilty and security for STARs.
Learn more about the occupations generating workplace equity, the regions building inclusive labor markets, and steps you can take today to support STARs in the workforce.
Ready to hire STARs? Check out our skills-first talent matching platform.
