In a move aimed at making talent markets more inclusive and effective, Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, has partnered with Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit social enterprise, to integrate skills-first hiring insights directly into enterprise workforce data. The partnership introduces a new STARs filter—highlighting workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes—to Lightcast’s Analyst platform, giving HR and workforce development teams a clearer picture of untapped talent.
Tackling the “Paper Ceiling”
Over 70 million Americans, or half of the US labor force, don’t hold a bachelor’s degree—but many have gained skills through community college, certificate programs, workforce training, military service, or on-the-job experience. Opportunity@Work has long warned about the “paper ceiling”—an invisible barrier created by degree requirements and biased algorithms that excludes skilled workers from higher-wage opportunities.
The new STARs filter enables employers to identify roles that could be filled by these skilled workers, effectively removing degree-based barriers and expanding the potential talent pipeline.
“It’s time for skills-first data to become standard workforce infrastructure,” said Papia Debroy, Chief Impact Officer at Opportunity@Work. “Now, through our partnership with Lightcast, we are translating awareness into action—embedding skills-first insight directly into the systems that shape hiring decisions.”
How It Works
The STARs filter integrates seamlessly across Lightcast’s Analyst, Talent Analyst, and Developer platforms, allowing users to filter job postings by skills rather than degrees—just as they would filter by geography, education, or salary. Additional tools, including the Job Postings API, Job Postings Data Share, eIMPACT visualizations, and Professional Services, now also include STARs data, giving employers multiple ways to discover and act on skills-first opportunities.
This approach helps employers focus on capabilities rather than credentials, expanding access to high-wage roles while improving quality of hire, retention, and long-term performance. By shifting hiring practices from pedigree-based to performance-based, organizations gain a more diverse, ready-to-work talent pool.
The Business Case
“By adding STARs insights directly into Lightcast job market data, we’re giving customers a clear, data-driven way to see high-paying roles that can be filled without a four-year degree,” said Cara Christopher, CMO of Lightcast. “If even a fraction of the 17 million bachelor’s-required postings we identified last year go to STARs, we’ll have made valuable progress in building a job market that works for everyone.”
Skills-first hiring is not just a social imperative—it’s a strategic advantage. Screening out qualified candidates due to degree requirements limits the available talent pool, slows recruitment, and potentially increases turnover. The Lightcast–Opportunity@Work partnership ensures that employers see beyond the degree and can act at scale.
From Research to Market-Ready Infrastructure
The collaboration builds on years of joint research and the Tear the Paper Ceiling coalition, moving skills-first hiring from experimentation to actionable workforce infrastructure. Starting in March, all Lightcast customers will be able to leverage the STARs filter to design roles, refine hiring strategies, and identify qualified candidates who might otherwise be overlooked.
“This is a practical, data-driven step toward fairness and efficiency in hiring,” said Debroy. “By embedding skills-first insight in the systems HR teams use every day, we’re not just raising awareness—we’re making change possible at scale.”
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