Guam Uses WorkKeys^® to Gear Up for Influx of People and New Jobs

An instructor at Guam Community College gives a demonstration about turtles during a class presentation.

A potential influx of people and jobs has led officials in the U.S. territory of Guam to join the WorkKeys Solutions Provider (WSP) distribution network.

Guam Community College in Mangilao is partnering with the Guam Department of Labor to use the WorkKeys system for job analysis, assessment, and training. As a WSP, the college offers job seekers three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information.

Upon successful completion of the three components, clients are awarded a National Career Readiness Certificate.

Thousands of Marines and their families are expected to relocate to Guam from Okinawa, Japan, over the next five to 10 years as part of a U.S. military redeployment. The impending military buildup will generate thousands of new jobs for Guam, primarily in construction and service-related industries. In addition, the island’s booming tourism and hotel industry is opening doors to new employment opportunities.

Students at Guam Community College listen to instructions prior to taking a test.

“WorkKeys allows us to prepare our workforce for these new jobs in a short period of time. The information we collect will give us a good idea of the skill levels of our workforce and areas where workers need improvement,” said Victor Rodgers, assistant director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development for Guam Community College. “The ability to place job seekers according to their skill levels is crucial to both our business community and our workforce.”

Test-takers who score at least a level 3 on each of the three assessments are eligible to receive a National Career Readiness Certificate. Those who score below a level 3 can take remedial courses through the college to help them master the workplace skills as defined by WorkKeys.

A student works on the computer at Guam Community College.

Officials expect approximately 3,000 people to take the assessments during the first year at one-stop career centers and the college. They anticipate the numbers of participants and testing sites to increase as more companies make WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate part of their hiring process.

“We are encouraging business, education, and community leaders to use the WorkKeys system so they can be sure that the right people are placed in the right jobs for their skill levels,” said Rodgers.

Guam Community College serves approximately 4,000 secondary and postsecondary students annually through career technical education programs at Guam’s five public high schools and 50 postsecondary programs on its Mangilao campus.