# Paper Ceiling “Paper Ceiling” refers to the invisible barrier faced by workers without a college degree when accessing jobs in both the private and public sectors. The term highlights how formal education requirements can exclude a large segment of skilled individuals known as STARs (_Skilled Through Alternative Routes_). --- ## Entries **[Opportunity@Work](https://www.opportunityatwork.org/):** A nonprofit organization that advocates for a skills-first labor market and builds partnerships across sectors to promote access to better jobs for STARs. Its initiatives include STARs research, policy advocacy and the creation of tools like STARSight to support inclusive hiring. **Cross-ideological support for skills-first hiring:** Reforms to eliminate degree requirements for public sector jobs have [gained momentum](https://reason.com/2023/06/01/in-virginia-no-degree-is-no-problem/) across U.S. states, with backing from both progressive and conservative leaders. Republican governors in Virginia, Maryland, and several other states have removed college degree requirements for most state jobs, aiming to expand access and reduce credential inflation. These moves respond to declining college enrollment and labor market data showing that many degree requirements are misaligned with actual job skills. Supporters frame this shift as both a response to labor shortages and a way to recognize experience-based qualifications.