But Northrop’s experience also exemplifies how WorkKeys can help individual employees. Among the 1,200 employees who have taken WorkKeys at Northrop are many who see personal benefits just as important as those the company sees.

Tonia, a welder, is a 38-year-old mother of two whose husband also works in Ship Systems. She volunteered to take WorkKeys to assess her skills. She had excellent scores, and personnel at the Gulf Coast Shipbuilding Partnership (GCSP)—Northrop’s supplier of WorkKeys services—encouraged her to try college classes to build her skills.

Tonia shifted her work schedule to take courses at a local community college. Today, she is about to complete her associate’s degree. Her high grade-point average caught the attention of Northrop personnel, and Tonia has been encouraged to apply to an industrial engineering program through the company’s training program, as well as for industrial engineering jobs.

“Remember, our training director suggested that she take a few courses at the college to show initiative. Instead of a few, she received her degree. This is the kind of initiative the training department looks for when selecting candidates for the IE program,” said GCSP director Marty Perkins.

David, a rigger, had applied for other jobs in the shipyard but didn’t get them. He received high WorkKeys scores but knew he needed to sharpen his skills to land a coveted job in the quality assurance department. He took GCSP training—“everything we had,” according to Perkins—in WorkKeys skills, as well as soft skills, safety, typing, and blueprint reading.

Recently, there was a job opening in the QA department. With the encouragement of GCSP staff and recent skill training under his belt, he applied for the job, and got it. He now works in the QA department as an inspector.

Lester, a pipe fitter, couldn’t read well enough to take the WorkKeys exams. GCSP does not teach basic literacy but pointed him toward classes offered through a local literacy council.

While he was taking classes, his wife had two major surgeries, including a tracheotomy. While his wife was unable to speak, Lester was able to depend on his newfound literacy skills to communicate with her—via written messages. The experience reaffirmed for Lester the importance of literacy. Supervisors say his increased skills also give him added confidence and make him a better pipe fitter. He plans to take the WorkKeys Reading for Information exam next summer.