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OPM cuts degree requirements for government tech jobs in new standards

Post Date:04/16/2026

“For the first time, your fitness for the job will be determined via a formal assessment rather than based upon whether you have a bachelor’s degree or some minimum amount of work experience,” Scott Kupor, the director of OPM, wrote in a blog about the change.

OPM is now rewriting the standards for all 604 occupational series roles and looking to reduce the number of series, too. The agency aims to move from self-attestation of skills in government hiring to formal assessments to test for aptitude for a given job. 

“The move to skills based hiring over time, we think, really does open up many additional possibilities for US citizens who would like to join the federal government to do so,” the OPM official said. “We don't want lack of a specific degree to be an impediment.”

 If you would like to read the full article by Natalie Alms, Senior Correspondent , Nextgov/FCW you can find it here: 

OPM cuts degree requirements for government tech jobs in new standards

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It is our pleasure to share the news that Michele Robinson has accepted the position of Senior Director for the NCyTE Center. Michele comes with 20+ years of experience and proven leadership at senior and executive levels in information security, and 30 years of public service experience in policy and program execution, making positive impacts at both the state and national levels.   Michele is well recognized by the NCyTE staff and its partners.   She has been a member of the NCyTE Center's National Visiting Committee for 10 years, supporting our mission and vision.

Michele has numerous professional certifications and has represented various organizations in national arenas.  She most recently served as the  State of California Chief Information Security Officer.   Michele is looking forward to continuing to advance cybersecurity education through NCyTE’s resources and expanding the network of partnerships with business and industry, government agencies, and K-12 and higher education institutions.   Her experience in collaborating with other agencies and statewide initiatives and her commitment to cybersecurity education will be tremendous assets that she brings to NCyTE.

Michele will begin her work with NCyTE on September 1, 2023.   Please join us in welcoming Michele in her new leadership role!