CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Nearly 62% of Americans do not have a four-year college degree, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R, S.C.-01) was in Mount Pleasant this morning to tout the Access Act, which would continue the federal government's shift to skills-based hiring while removing degree requirements for federal contract work.
Bill sponsors say it's about getting more skilled workers into jobs like IT and cybersecurity, where degree limitations limit the employee pool.
"This truly is a matter of national security," says Gary Jaffe, the president of the Charleston Defense Contractors Association.
Rep. Mace promotes Access Act to enhance skills-based hiring, boost national security (WCIV)
Defense contractors in the low country are desperate to find quality job applicants.
"Our nation has never been in greater need of this kind of talent and a workforce that's ready to deliver, particularly as we stare down our peer adversaries," Jaffe adds.
Many say the requirement for a four-year degree is outdated, especially in the areas of IT and tech, where candidates often have specific tech certifications that you can't always get in college.
"There's a lot of intensely detailed IT knowledge that needs to be learned hands-on. Not to say that we don't get hands-on experience in college, but you learn so much more of that on the job and through actual work and experience, and that work and experience really should be considered in lieu of education," says Elizabeth Robertson, the president of Liberty Business Associates.
Bill supporters say one of the biggest groups hampered by degree requirements are veterans, who often leave military careers without a four-year degree, but a wealth of knowledge in specific areas.
"Our government has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their trek in their training, particularly in cybersecurity, those professionals, this will open up a wider variety of jobs for those individuals. I think wages will be even higher 'cause of it because of those opportunities. 'cause we need that talent now more than ever," says Rep. Mace.
"They often work with a lot of the technology that we need them to understand, weapon systems and things like that. So they're just a perfect fit for this industry. So when they come out, especially enlisted though, sometimes they have great experience, great knowledge. Sometimes they have some certifications, often though they don't have a degree, but they can do the job," adds Robertson.
Jobs that contractors say need to be filled if the US is going to compete with the rest of the world.
"If we don't have the capacity of this kind of talent for our country, we can't deliver on our nation's needs.," says Jaffe.
The bipartisan bill sailed through the Committee on Oversight and Accountability unanimously last month and is expected to be taken up by the full House in the coming days.
