Skills-Based Workforce Development

Creating an Elite Community of Workforce Regional Partners

Align Programs, Partners, and Resources for Greater Economic Impact

ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) is a national framework that aligns workforce boards, educators, and employers around a single, trusted measure of workforce readiness: the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). For workforce developers, WRC provides the shared infrastructure to connect every player in your regional ecosystem — turning fragmented efforts into a coordinated, measurable talent pipeline.

Your Region's Advantage

Be the connective tissue your region's economy needs

With 590+ communities already engaged and 29,000+ employers supporting the WorkKeys NCRC, joining Work Ready Communities means plugging into a proven national network — and bringing that credibility home. Communities become more attractive to site selectors, investors, and new employers when they can point to real, certified workforce data.

One Shared Measure

Unify workforce boards, education systems, and economic development around the WorkKeys NCRC as a common language of skills.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Track WorkKeys NCRC attainment, skills gaps, and employer engagement to demonstrate regional ROI and guide resource allocation.

Employer Buy-In

Engage local employers to recognize and require the WorkKeys NCRC, creating real demand
signals that drive participation across your pipeline.

WRC Certification

Work toward official Work Ready Community certification — a recognized mark of workforce quality that attracts business investment and talent.

Request a WRC Strategy Conversation

Work Ready Communities Use ACT WorkKeys Solutions to Build a Stronger Workforce Ecosystem

Curriculum

Helps individuals build the essential career-relevant skills needed for learning, personal development, and effective job performance.

WorkKeys Curriculum

Assessments

Measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace, and help measure the workplace skills that can affect job performance.

WorkKeys Assessments

Credentialing

Helps individuals earn, verify, certify, and share through Digital Badging, the essential foundational skills for workplace success.

WorkKeys NCRC

Job Profiles

Links job tasks with WorkKeys Assessments to pinpoint benchmarks for hiring, recruiting, advancement, and training.

Profiling/Estimator

ACT Empowers You to Positively Impact Your Community

Discover how individuals like you are impacting their communities using ACT Workforce Solutions from coast to coast — across industries, government and civil services, and education sectors.

Learn More

Work Ready Ecosystem

ACT^® Work Ready Communities brings together disparate individuals and organizations who share a common goal -- participating in a vibrant and sustainable economy that benefits everyone involved. The Work Ready framework provides a set of criteria for evaluating which participants are contributing to this goal and which need improvement.

With Work Ready Communities in 60% of U.S. states already, we’ve had the chance to see how this support, camaraderie, and idea sharing has helped so many communities thrive.

State Agencies

State agencies like the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and Department of Commerce are applying for and allocating funding to these strategic initiatives in your state.

Associations

Industry associations like the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) and others are helping to train and certify more skilled workers and seeking partners in the ecosystem to support their efforts.

Funding

Federal funding is dedicated to key workforce development initiatives like apprenticeship and work-based learning, corrections and re-entry, and upskilling to close the skills gap.

Educational Institutions

Schools, community colleges, and state-wide systems are growing and expanding training programs to align with job demands in your area and available funds.

Workforce
Boards

Workforce Boards

Workforce boards leverage partnerships and resources to fill skill gaps, prepare individuals for career pathways and utilize the Job Center system to deliver quality, equitable solutions to employers, students, and job seekers.

Individuals

The people at the heart of your community find their dream jobs, carve their own pathways to success, and make a difference in the world.

Businesses

Businesses like yours are seeking and finding more qualified, skilled talent that stays and thrives due to these intentional workforce development efforts.

Learn More About WRC

Work Ready Communities Are Putting ACT WorkKeys to Work!

ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) is a framework for community-based workforce development. The primary reason more than 559 communities have decided to participate is to drive economic growth. When your community becomes a certified Work Ready Community, you can prove the economic viability of your area to employers, location consultants, investors, and other decision-makers because:

How Communities Get Certified

28,644 employers around the US have shown their support for Work Ready Communities.

States with state or county-led ACT Work Ready Communities

Use this map to find communities including counties, parishes and other county equivalents that participate in the Work Ready Communities program. Select a state or territory to see which communities are working to build an ecosystem that attracts new businesses and benefits workers, employers, and the community-at-large.

Get the Pathways to Success Toolkit

Get tools and strategies to build stronger talent pipelines and connect education, workforce, and support services into a seamless system.

Get the Toolkit

What Leaders in Workforce Development are Saying

Mike Parson

“Initiatives like ACT Work Ready Communities are critical to preparing our future generation for high-skill, high-demand jobs, and we are proud to be leading the nation in this effort."

-Mike Parson, Missouri Governor

Tanya Foreman

“At Eastman, we want good-paying jobs and rewarding career opportunities for everyone in our community. And engaging in ACT Work Ready Communities is enabling us to work with other business and community leaders to introduce students and residents to ACT WorkKeys and the ACT WorkKeys NCRC and how it can help them take charge of their career decisions.” 

-Tanya Foreman, Education Initiatives Manager, Eastman Chemical Co.

Teresa Nortillo

“Not only does WorkKeys function as a preferred assessment tool in industry today, but the WRC website allows me to compare communities so I can recommend to my clients the counties with the best scores and percentage of population taking the assessment.”

-Teresa Nortillo, Nortillo Consulting Group

Robby Burgan

“ACT Work Ready Communities are setting themselves apart by intentionally developing their local workforce in support of their existing companies while positioning themselves to attract new companies."

-Robby Burgan, Former Manager of Location Strategies, Evergreen Advisors

Tracey Faulkner

"Being a Work Ready Community champion allows the ease of hiring the best people, and trust what you hired them to do. It allows me to help match the employees to jobs based on verified skill levels. Finding the candidate who possesses the proper trade skill through the ACT Work Ready Program reduces the overall recruiting, onboarding, and training cost. It’s a win-win for all involved."

-Tracey Faulkner, Former Director of Human Resources, R-Tech Tool & Machine, Inc.

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Upskilling.
Economic development.
Talent retention.
Work-based learning.
Corrections.
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Upcoming events and deadlines.
Insights from industry experts.

Ready to Learn More About ACT WorkKeys?

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Work Ready Communities

Have questions? Call 800-967-5539, or complete this contact form.