Federal Skills Act

This bill directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to review and revise all job classification and qualification standards for positions in the competitive service, as necessary.

A federal agency may prescribe a minimum requirement with respect to education for a position in the competitive service only if a minimum qualification with respect to education is legally required to perform the duties of a comparable position in the state or locality where those duties are to be performed.

The OPM shall work with each agency to ensure that, for a position in the competitive service, the agency assesses an applicant for employment in a manner that does not rely solely on the education of the applicant to determine the extent to which the applicant possesses relevant knowledge, skills, competencies, and abilities for the position.

In assessing an applicant for employment

• an agency may not rely solely on the self-evaluation of the stated abilities of the applicant; and
• the applicant shall fulfill other assessment standards in order to be certified for consideration, as established by the Chief Human Capital Officer of the applicable agency (or an equivalent official).