CareerTech board raises alarm about OMES 'harmonization' of job codes; director to pursue legislative options

During discussion of agency goals, Director Hagan warned the board that a state initiative to harmonize job families, descriptions and pay bands through the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) could undermine CareerTech’s ability to hire educators and program specialists.

"So the harmonization is pretty scary," Hagan said, explaining that OMES has sought to standardize job codes and job family types across state agencies. She cited a specific example staff had raised: an agency’s federal branch coordinator job description being recategorized as an "admin assistant," a change Hagan said would lower pay and make it difficult to recruit employees from the classroom.

Board members asked whether exemptions exist; Hagan said higher education regents were previously exempted from OMES and that she would explore whether CareerTech could pursue an exemption. She asked board members with legislative contacts to voice concerns to the governor’s office or their legislators. "I will have to work legislatively to create an exemption of this," Hagan said.

Why it matters: CareerTech told the board the agency typically competes for staff in the education labor market, where salaries have risen. Standardizing job descriptions and pay bands across all state agencies could force CareerTech positions into lower pay categories than equivalent educator roles in schools, staff said.

What the board discussed: Members asked for additional detail about OMES authority and the timeline. Staff said harmonization work is due to begin Jan. 1, 2025 for new hires, with non‑retroactivity a mitigating factor (it would not apply retroactively to existing employees). The board discussed drafting a proclamation or seeking legislative relief if the process advances.

Attribution: Director Hagan and multiple board members discussed the OMES harmonization initiative and potential next steps; remarks come from discussion segments where staff described meetings with OMES and examples of job description changes.