Louisiana State Civil Service has been nationally recognized for its leadership in advancing skills-based talent practices. The State of Louisiana is featured in Opportunity@Work’s Government as Employer Playbook, a national resource designed to help public sector leaders modernize hiring and workforce practices by focusing on skills rather than degrees. The playbook is a practical, action-oriented guide developed for government employers at all levels. It provides tools, templates, and real-world examples to support agencies as they work to expand access to public service careers, strengthen talent pipelines, and better align hiring practices with the skills needed to perform the work. Louisiana’s inclusion reflects ongoing efforts by State Civil Service to rethink traditional hiring models and create pathways for workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes, or STARs. STARs are individuals who have gained valuable skills through experience, military service, training programs, or partial college completion rather than a four-year degree. By focusing on what candidates can do, not just where they learned it, skills-based approaches help agencies reach a broader and more diverse talent pool while maintaining high standards for public service. Jennifer Schuelke, Assistant Division Administrator for Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development with Louisiana State Civil Service, contributed to the playbook and shared Louisiana’s perspective as part of Opportunity@Work’s inaugural Transformers in the Public Sector cohort. In the introduction, she emphasizes the importance of modernizing hiring while preserving excellence in public service: Louisiana State Civil Service Featured in National Government as Employer Playbook
“This isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s a call to rethink how we describe work, how we define excellence, and how we recognize the value of real- world experience .” She further notes that shifting to skills-based practices helps government better serve both applicants and the public by opening access to talent that has long been overlooked, while still aligning with mission-critical needs and merit principles Louisiana’s participation in the Government as Employer Playbook underscores State Civil Service’s commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and equitable access to public employment. As workforce challenges continue to evolve, resources like this playbook help ensure that Louisiana remains positioned as a forward-thinking employer of choice in public service.
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State Civil Service Spotlight | December 2025
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