Work Skill Certificates Connect Employers and Workers

“Career readiness certificates give job seekers and businesses a way to connect,” said Jon Erickson, vice president of Educational Services at ACT. “To earn a certificate, the examinee must demonstrate—via WorkKeys scores—the basic, foundational skills needed in most jobs, according to our research.”

WorkKeys has served as a “common language” between employers and workforce developers for more than 10 years. Employers have jobs profiled by trained WorkKeys job profilers to determine the foundational skills needed to perform the job. The skill levels correlate to minimum WorkKeys scores. Job applicants take WorkKeys assessments to demonstrate that their skills meet or exceed those levels. By issuing certificates to workers who earn certain scores, states and communities have established WorkKeys scores as a measure of employability.

Job applicants generally earn a career readiness certificate, or CRC, by taking three WorkKeys exams: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. The foundational skills measured by these assessments are required in most of the jobs that have been profiled by ACT. Recipients are awarded certificates that recognize various levels of achievement, as demonstrated by their test scores.

“Having a work readiness certification has been a tremendous tool for showing Indiana’s workforce capacity,” said Andrew Penca, deputy commissioner of strategic research and development for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. “Indiana’s certification and job profiling system is designed to attract industries with high growth potential to Indiana—industries such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences, transportation, distribution and logistics, motor sports, and value-added agriculture.”

Kentucky launched its Kentucky Employability Certificate—the first statewide CRC program—in 2003. Three other states and several communities have followed, with more on the way.

Statewide programs can be found in:

• Indiana. In 2003, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development created an initiative to attract high-growth businesses to the state and help residents advance their careers. The Innovating Indiana program includes state grants for job profiling and skill training at Indiana businesses and a statewide skill certificate program for job seekers. Dislocated workers can assess their skills and match them with jobs that have been profiled. Residents receive a Work Readiness Certificate listing their WorkKeys scores. More than 5,000 certificates have been awarded. Businesses can create profiles of their positions, and assess an applicant's skills to find the best matches between the job and the individual. Dozens of companies, including Autocar, Amcast, and the Dana Corporation, are using state-funded job profiling to help hire and train employees.

• Kentucky. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System created the Kentucky Employability Certificate to provide a common language for the state’s workforce and education leaders. Sponsored by the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, the certificate is a reliable and consistent indicator of basic employment skills. More than 1,500 certificates have been awarded to Kentuckians.

• Louisiana. The Louisiana WorkReady! Certificate, started in 2003, awards gold, silver, and bronze Work Ready! Certificates to participants who achieve passing score levels on WorkKeys exams. More than 6,300 certificates have been issued.

• Virginia. A governor's initiative created the Virginia Career Readiness program. Virginians earn a certificate by taking WorkKeys tests administered by one-stop career development centers, community colleges, and local departments of social services. More than 4,500 Virginians have been certified work ready by the Career Readiness Certificate.

Areas with regional programs include:

• Grand Rapids, Michigan. School officials in Kent County, Michigan, have put WorkKeys exams behind a “guaranteed diploma” designed to prepare high school students for local careers. The Kent Intermediate School District created the diploma to assure local employers that its graduates have the skills they need to succeed on the job. Students from Kent ISD’s 22 public and private schools take WorkKeys Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information. Beginning with the class of 2007, qualifying students will receive a Guaranteed Diploma certificate, which guarantee employers that the student has the foundational skills necessary to grow into a job. If a graduate does not fulfill expectations, the employer can send the graduate to Kent ISD for remedial training at the school district’s expense.

• Grand Junction, Colorado. Two years ago, employers in Grand Junction were frustrated by their lack of high-quality job applicants. Meanwhile, applicants at the Mesa County Workforce Center felt they struggled to get employers’ attention, and the local school district was searching for a tool to prepare students for the workforce. All three groups realized they needed the same thing—a way for local business leaders, educators, and job seekers to communicate. Working together, they created a certificate system to help residents demonstrate their skills to employers. Since then, 1,074 certificates have been issued and 111 businesses have agreed to use the certificates in their hiring processes. All job applicants are asked for and encouraged to pursue certificates.

• Bloomington, Indiana. Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington created a certification program to document basic workforce skills in literacy, computers, and productivity. The HIRE (Help In Reaching Employers) certification program assesses foundational job skills measured by WorkKeys as well as keyboarding, word processing, critical thinking, customer service, and teamwork skills. Ivy Tech’s partners in the program include the local chamber of commerce, community schools, and one-stop centers.

• The Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, Iowa Corridor. More than a dozen businesses have adopted the Skills Advantage initiative created by Kirkwood Community College, the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce, and economic development groups in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. To earn Skills Advantage certification, job applicants take three WorkKeys exams. They may also earn a second certificate that documents team building, listening, and problem-solving skills. Kirkwood issues the certificates, which companies including ACT, Rockwell-Collins, and Shive-Hattery, Inc., consult when hiring.

Group Works for National Credential

Several states that have launched or plan to launch a work-readiness certificate program have formed the Career Readiness Certificate Consortium. Members, from 39 states, include state government officials, workforce development professionals, secondary and postsecondary educators, and business leaders. The group meets regularly to review current statewide and communitywide WorkKeys initiatives, share successful practices, and develop models for a portable credential to be recognized across the country.

“In this new global economy, it is extremely valuable to document one’s skills, and a career readiness certificate gives employers and employees the tool to do just that,” said Barbara Bolin, who coordinates the consortium.