Board raises concerns about OMES human‑capital oversight and agency autonomy

At the July meeting, the State Board of Career and Technology Education told members it had raised concerns about the Office of Management and Enterprise Services’ role in human‑capital management and what constraints that could place on the agency.

The chair summarized a recent two‑week‑old meeting with OMES leadership, including the chief of staff and the state CFO. The board said OMES staff described plans to harmonize human‑capital systems across state agencies but that CareerTech emphasized the specialized nature of its job descriptions and the need to retain authority over pay bands and hiring for unique agency positions. “Fairly positive meeting,” the chair said, but added, “we will see what happens as a result.”

Board members discussed that one exception could remain in the director’s own position because of legal constraints, and the chair said the board will continue monitoring any changes to job descriptions or hiring authority stemming from OMES decisions. No statute or rule change was presented at the meeting and no board motion was made concerning OMES.

The board’s comments were procedural and advisory; the issue was presented as an ongoing operational discussion rather than a resolved policy change. The board said it plans to continue engagement with OMES leadership and report back to future meetings if concrete changes are proposed.