ACT Partners Help Close the Workforce Skills Gap with New Programs

ACT’s industry partners are beginning to shrink the gaps between the skills people have and the skills employers need.

The Manufacturing Institute, NCCER (formerly known as the National Center for Construction Education and Research), and the Center for Energy Workforce Development have recently launched programs to help students and workers obtain the skills and credentials companies are requiring for current and future jobs.

The new training and education programs described here use ACT’s WorkKeys^® assessments and the National Career Readiness Certificate.

The Manufacturing Institute (The Institute)

The Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) that manages the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System.

The Institute began partnering with ACT three years ago to address deficits in manufacturing education and training. Last summer, President Obama announced support for the Institute’s goal of helping a half-million workers, over the next five years, obtain skills certifications using this system of “stackable credentials” applicable to all sectors in the manufacturing industry. Stackable credentials are a clearly defined system of competencies and industry-recognized certifications that are linked to employment opportunities and career advancement.

These nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials validate the skills workers need to be productive and successful in any manufacturing environment. As the first step in the system, ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate confirms individuals’ personal effectiveness, academic skills, general workplace skills, and preparedness for additional certifications, postsecondary education, or work.

Here is how it works:

• Students gain skills in programs of study, starting in high school and progressing through community college and university curricula.
• They earn skills certifications that are based on competencies demonstrated, not credit hours.
• The certifications are integrated into degree programs in which educational pathways are aligned to career pathways.
• The career pathways provide more connections to postsecondary education, where individuals learn high-level skills, and more opportunities for employment through industry credentials that are valued by employers.

In 2009, the Institute began pilots of the system at four community colleges in Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington, and is now introducing it into programs of study at community colleges in another 27 states, with more to come.

Institute staff members are working with industry, education, and policy leaders in each state to align certifications to secondary and postsecondary programs of study, giving students basic education along with the industry-relevant training they need for entry-level employment or advancement or to pursue a degree. The Institute is currently working with partners to enhance the system to include higher-level, sector, and process-specific credentials in a broad range of manufacturing occupations.

“We chose to start with community colleges because they are in touch with the needs of local employers. They are the levers of change in their communities,” said Jennifer McNelly, senior vice president, the Institute. “Our work in these 31 states provides a framework for engagement between education and industry, which produces a consistent set of credentials and classes across the country.”

NCCER

NCCER is a not-for-profit education foundation that develops standardized construction and maintenance curricula and assessments with portable, nationally-recognized credentials. These credentials include transcripts, certificates, and wallet cards that are tracked through NCCER’s National Registry. NCCER develops training in more than 60 craft areas, offers approximately 70 assessment exams, and has more than 4,000 training locations in the United States.

The organization joined forces with ACT about two years ago to help ensure prospective and current construction industry workers have the essential foundational skills they need to succeed in NCCER-accredited training courses and on the job. NCCER and ACT are working on a system for delivering WorkKeys assessments via NCCER’s Accredited Assessment Center network and issuing co-awarded National Career Readiness Certificates to individuals to document their skills.

ACT’s WorkKeys assessments and the National Career Readiness Certificate play a key role in preparing workers for coursework offered by NCCER. “Trainees who earn National Career Readiness Certificates will move through our process and obtain additional credentials that allow for upward mobility during their careers,” said Steve Greene, vice president, NCCER.

NCCER launched a pilot program in late 2011 at select Accredited Assessment Centers across the country. Each center is testing a group of trainees and employees with three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. ACT and NCCER are working on a return-on-investment study to determine the correlation between success on WorkKeys assessments and success in NCCER’s training process.

Like many other sectors of the economy, the construction industry is facing a significant shortage of skilled workers, and new people are not entering its workforce at a rate to meet demand, said Greene.

“WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate help us provide a holistic approach to the development of individuals, starting with identifying their critical foundational skills and leading to success in career, craft, and technical programs and, ultimately, jobs.”

Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD)

Formed in March 2006, CEWD is a nonprofit consortium of electric, natural gas, and nuclear utilities, and energy companies and their associations: Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. CEWD was formed to help the industry work together to develop solutions to the coming workforce shortage.

The ACT and CEWD partnership began more than a year ago to create programs that address three crucial issues in the energy industry:

• An aging workforce—Nearly 50 percent of the workforce is expected to retire or leave the industry for other reasons in the next five to ten years.
• A skills gap among potential applicants— Out of hundreds of applicants, only a handful can pass pre-employment tests, which are standard practice in the energy industry.
• A rapidly changing industry—Technology advancements require a workforce that is adaptable, flexible, and has the ability to learn.

“We have an opportunity to rebuild our workforce in a way that reflects the diversity utility companies are seeking,” said Ann Randazzo, executive director, CEWD. “We are creating long-term solutions to confront these long-term issues.”

CEWD is working with energy consortia in 30 states, as well as with utility companies and other organizations across the country, to design programs that target specific demographic groups, including youth, low-income young adults, women, military personnel, and transitioning adults.

The National Career Readiness Certificate is at the heart of each program. “Those who earn at least silver-level Certificates will have a better foundation to be able to pass the pre-employment tests for most jobs,” said Randazzo.

• California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington are piloting the Get Into Energy program for low-income young adults. Career coaches help students explore careers, match their interests with education pathways, and obtain the training and credentials they need to work in the energy industry. Students earn stackable credentials through a system that moves them from basic training in work readiness and employability skills to industry-specific knowledge and skills and, ultimately, to job-specific training.
• Five utility companies—Dominion, American Electric Power, Southern Company, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Arizona Public Service—are working with CEWD to create a similar program to help veterans gain the education and training they need to transition into civilian jobs in the industry.
• The program for women follows the Get Into Energy model and will soon begin implementation in target states.

“Each of our programs is driven by real demand for real jobs. We are working with each state to help them identify their specific job needs, and then implementing the programs that fulfill those needs,” she said.