PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order on Wednesday that makes it easier to fill open positions in Pennsylvania by recruiting federal employees.
A statement from Shapiro’s office said the order “seeks to capitalize on [Trump administration] federal layoffs by accepting federal work experience as equivalent to state experience for the state’s top recruitment needs.”
It is aimed at connecting more people with job opportunities to serve the commonwealth, opening doors for those with experience in public service and specialized expertise in important fields like civil engineering, nursing, corrections, accounting and more.
Part of the order includes starting an aggressive effort to recruit federal employees into Pennsylvania’s workforce, launching a new website with key information about state government opportunities that align with a person’s experience, and hosting job fairs for federal employees.
So far, the Shapiro administration said it has reduced hiring times by 32% and filled nearly 600 previously vacant permitting, licensing and certification jobs.
Shapiro signed the order at the second annual Commonwealth Job Fair in Harrisburg, where more than 40 state agencies provided job seekers with information about public service careers.
“Pennsylvania still has 540 critical jobs to fill,” the governor added in a statement, “and we have an opportunity to recruit federal workers and veterans who have significant experience and expertise in all of these fields because they’ve held these jobs already at the federal level or in the military. Under this Executive Order, my Administration will consider relevant federal work experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience so skilled, experienced federal employees can pre-qualify for existing open positions with the Commonwealth — while continuing to protect pathways for veterans to continue their service.”