Berner Food & Beverage credits ACT WorkKeys and the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) for helping get the right people in the right jobs, which resulted in significant savings.

Berner, a private label supplier of quality food and beverage products in Dakota, Illinois, has seen decreases in employee turnover, workers’ compensation costs, and nonconforming product expenses since using ACT’s workforce solutions. Nonconforming products are those that don’t meet specified requirements and must be scrapped or corrected, requiring additional time and resources.

“In 2009, we had a revolving door of people coming and going,” said Stephen Kneubuehl, president and CEO. “At about the same time, we were investing in new equipment, and we needed to change how we hired and trained people.”

Berner’s management team learned about ACT WorkKeys and, in 2010, began sending some of their 230 employees to nearby Highland Community College to take WorkKeys assessments in Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, Reading for Information, and Talent. Employees in leadership roles also take the WorkKeys Fit and Performance assessments, and maintenance department personnel take the WorkKeys Applied Technology test.

Those with qualifying scores can earn the NCRC at one of four levels: platinum, gold, silver, or bronze.

Of the 186 Berner employees who have earned certificates to date, nearly 60 percent earned silver and 26 percent earned gold.

Those who do not qualify for a certificate can increase their skills using ACT KeyTrain^®, an interactive training system that teaches the applied workplace skills defined by the WorkKeys system and NCRC. Following completion of training, individuals may retest.

Berner relies on computerized equipment and automation to help ensure product safety and increase productivity. As a result, the skills needed to operate equipment have changed. “We need people who have technical skills,” said Kneubuehl.

“WorkKeys gives us a better idea of a person’s basic skills and ability to be trained than a high school diploma or GED does,” said Paul Calvagna, human resources director. “There is no downside to using ACT WorkKeys and the NCRC.”