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It's the Brian Laird Show on WNYC.

Good morning again, everyone.

You know about the glass ceiling, right?

Do you know about the paper ceiling?

This is how we continue our series on becoming upwardly mobile without a college degree.

If you're trying to get a better job without a four-year degree, you already know it can be an uphill climb.

You might have the skills, you might have the experience, but your resume doesn't say BA, and that one line can keep you from getting in the door.

So today we're going to talk about that invisible barrier, often called the paper ceiling.

It's the set of degree requirements, hiring software, and outdated

assumptions that block millions of workers from better paying jobs, even though they're qualified.

These are workers known as stars, as we've talked about earlier in this series, stars standing for

skilled through alternative routes. But there's also some good news that's new.

A new report from the nonprofit opportunity at work shows that employers are starting to shift.

Some are rethinking degree requirements.

Some states are trying new policies at the political level on this.

There is real momentum.

So we've talked mostly in this series so far from the perspective of workers and

prospective workers and how they can get qualified through alternative routes for good jobs.

But today, if you're trying to advance your career without a degree,

what should you know about where the opportunities are and what are employers thinking?

Joining us are Layla O'Kane, Senior Director of Data Projects at Opportunity at Workout

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