From a Billboard to City Hall:
How Chicago Tore the Paper Ceiling
A policy case study on how Opportunity@Work helped Chicago eliminate unnecessary degree requirements and unlock opportunity for nearly 2 million STARs.
A Barrier Hiding in Plain Sight
For decades, college degree requirements have quietly locked millions of qualified Americans out of good jobs—regardless of their skills, experience, or training.
In Chicago, the impact was stark:
- 2 million STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) already had the skills to qualify for city jobs
Degree requirements disproportionately screened out:- 61% of Black workers
- 54% of Hispanic workers
- 64% of veterans
- Only one-third of City of Chicago employees held a college degree
Degree requirements weren’t protecting quality—they were shrinking the talent pool and reinforcing inequity.
The Moment That Changed Everything
When a member of the Chicago City Council saw a “Tear the Paper Ceiling” billboard, it reframed the issue from credentials to capability.
What followed wasn’t a campaign—it was legislation.
"There’s north of 55% of veterans who don’t have degrees, but we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars training these men and women. They have real-life experience. We want to make sure we’re giving opportunities to all Chicagoans and veterans by breaking that paper ceiling." — Alderman Gilbert Villegas, Chicago’s 36th Ward
Want to see what happened next?
See how narrative change, data, and coalition advocacy helped tear the paper ceiling.