Tenure means very little anymore. When it comes to any kind of employment under the state its better to be vested, so that you at least get retirement. You get vested after 10 years of work. Like doekiller said...tenure does not secure somebody from being fired, it just gives them more due process should something come up. If a state employee like a teacher or aldot grass mower or state trooper is vested but not tenured they also have due process but under a different set of rules. It takes about 5-6 years to get tenure, it takes 10 to get vested.