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Jessica Thomas

Apprenticeships: Retraining Programs for Dislocated Miners

A majority of people in the United States support transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, though the desired approach varies wildly. However, beyond a transition to renewables, there has been a steep decline in the use of coal fired power plants since in recent years with the rapid increase in natural gas use due to the popularization of hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking. From 2011 to 2019, coal production employment fell 42%, with the steepest… Read More »Apprenticeships: Retraining Programs for Dislocated Miners

Digital Licensing: Higher Efficiency and Lower Cost

Focused young woman consider paperwork working on laptop.

During the pandemic, many state occupational licensing bodies encountered barriers to their regular licensing processes. Issues with mailing delays, in-person training, exams, and fee collection prompted many executive orders and regulatory and legislative actions to waive some requirements for licensure. This has been especially important for meeting workforce shortages in healthcare and providing new ways to deliver and receive services, such as the expansion of telehealth practice. Outside of healthcare, the increasing number of jobs that require a professional license and the dramatic shift to a remote workforce has presented similar challenges and made clear the need for a more streamlined licensing process.

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Washington State Veteran Licensing Policy

Because occupational licensure is largely created and implemented at the state level, there exists a patchwork of different policies and requirements for professional practice. This creates a consistent trend of veterans and military spouses having a greater barrier to licensed professions due to frequent moves and unrecognized training. Approaches to easing these challenges vary as state legislatures and governors have taken steps to do so. One example of attempting to remedy this problem is the… Read More »Washington State Veteran Licensing Policy

Apprenticeships: An Alternative Pathway to Licensure

Overview

Apprenticeships, an “earn while you learn” program with on-the-job training for future practitioners of a trade or profession, are an increasingly available pathway toward licensure in several states. According to DOL statistics, 94% of those who complete an apprenticeship program maintain employment and earn an average salary of $70,000. With such success stories, there has been a 128% increase in new apprenticeships since 2009 and 12,300 new apprenticeship programs created in the last five years. In 2021, numerous bills about apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs have been introduced in state legislatures across the country.

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Micro-credentialing: Function and Future in State Policy

Micro-credentials are a form of credentialing gaining popularity to allow career advancement without full stops for additional degrees in licensed professions. Similar to continuing educations requirements, micro-credentials (sometimes known as ‘badges’) focus on practicing professionals looking to gain skills or specific content knowledge to increase their value to employers and patients, students and clients. They are very popular in the education field, allowing licensed teachers to expand their abilities and upgrade their licenses or increase… Read More »Micro-credentialing: Function and Future in State Policy

The Council of State Governments is Helping States Prepare for the Next Pandemic

A recent paper from the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) and Duke University’s Margolis Center for Health Policy identifies the need for regulatory reforms championed by The Council of State Governments  

The Disaster Preparedness and Response Initiative, a project that convened leaders from the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) and Duke University’s Margolis Center for Health Policy, recently published National Dialogue for Healthcare Innovation: Framework for Private-Public Collaboration on Disaster Preparedness. 

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“Fair Chance” Licensing Policies Across States

Around 1 in 3 American adults have been arrested before they reach 23 years of age and between 70 and 100 million Americans have a criminal record. Because a criminal record can include speeding tickets, it is no wonder this number is so high. However, a criminal record can still inhibit individuals from finding employment or being licensed in particular occupations. Occupational licensing regulations sometimes have a blanket prohibition on individuals with any criminal convictions, or “good moral character” clauses that allow a licensing board to deny a license for an arrest without conviction. This contributes to a large segment of the population being unable to work, even if their arrest or conviction occurred years prior to their application.

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New Study: Stringent Occupational Licensing Hinders Teacher Mobility, but not Out-of-State Teacher Quality

“The Effect of Occupational Licensing Stringency on the Teacher Quality Distribution,” a recent study sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research, finds stricter licensing laws diminish teacher mobility but does not meaningfully affect the quality of teachers coming from other states. The study’s findings may be particularly illuminating for states with teacher shortages, where improving pathways for out-of-state teacher licensure recognition can be useful strategy to increase teacher mobility without harming public welfare.

State Outlook: Occupational Licensing Policies in the COVID-19 Era

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread quickly throughout the United States, it became readily apparent to state leaders that health care workforce capacities might be overwhelmed. Many states provisionally amended occupational licensure policies to reduce regulatory burdens and increase the capacity of hospitals. Non-health care occupations also were temporarily relieved of certain licensing requirements, especially those reliant on in-person services such as continuing education. All 50 states and Washington D.C. passed some licensure streamlining actions in 2020, typically through executive orders and administrative rule changes. These changes are analyzed in a recent policy report by The Council of State Governments (CSG) researchers: “Assessing COVID-19 Occupational Licensing Policy Actions”.

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Sunrise Review Processes by State

As states assess ways to improve the occupational licensure policy process, the use of “sunrise reviews” has garnered renewed interest. A sunrise review is a specific, data-informed analysis completed before proposed regulations are considered by a state legislature. The result is better information about the proposed benefits, and potential drawbacks, of the considered regulation. For occupational licensing policy, this review allows states to consider the economic and public safety effects that licensure affords. The Council of State Governments (CSG) has identified 14 states that maintain a process for occupational licensure sunrise reviews: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

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