Most high school counselors are familiar with college-bound students taking the ACT exam as part of the college application process. ACT also offers WorkKeys Assessments to help high school students and adults assess their preparedness for the workforce in three key areas: applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents.
To share this information with the community, the Center for Workforce Development hosted the ACT Work Ready Communities Educator Summit on April 24 in the Professional Development Center at BOCES 2. The event brought together school counselors and administrators from all over the region and representatives from area businesses to find out more.
The WorkKeys Assessments are used to answer the following questions: Can job applicants use mathematical reasoning for workplace problems? Can they understand and analyze workplace graphics? Can they read and apply written information on the job? Once applicants take each of the three assessments, they receive a score, on a scale of 1 (low) to 7 (high). Receiving a 3 or higher on each assessment qualifies an applicant for one of four levels – bronze (lowest), silver, gold or platinum (highest) – as they work towards earning a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) indicating their workplace readiness to an employer.
In turn, employers assess their job descriptions and positions to figure out what critical skills are needed from potential employees. Are they looking for silver certified candidates in applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents or do they need higher or lower certifications in each area?
By completing these critical job assessments, the employer can screen potential candidates more effectively and target growth areas for on-the-job training. Employers can declare in their job postings the specific WorkKeys they are looking for in each of the assessment areas, allowing candidates to present their certifications when applying for work. The goal is for employers to hire and retain the most qualified candidates for their open positions.
The information gathered from local employers about jobs helps educational institutions ensure that their students are prepared for the workforce by concentrating on the skills that employers are looking for. Monroe and Genesee Counties are pursuing certification as Work Ready Communities (WRC).
Monroe County has 55 employers and Genesee County has 105 employers who support ACT Work Ready Communities by recognizing the NCRC as a measure of foundational workplace skills.
In addition to a few vendors at the Summit, there was also an interactive panel discussion. The panel consisted of four people: Leah Leverich, a recent Hilton graduate, creator of the Decision Day podcast and brand manager for the Big Brand Managers; Cathy Caiazza, assistant vice president for career and personnel development at the Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship; Chris Suozzi, executive vice president of business and workforce development for the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC); and Sheila Eigenbrad, a retired educator and educational consultant for the GCEDC. They each talked about the different paths to employment for high school graduates and adults. Leverich has found success with her podcast, which is for students who are graduating high school and aren’t sure whether to pursue more education or a job – she was one of those students.
Caiazza promoted the Golisano Institute as higher education for non-traditional college students. She said that 50% of traditional college graduates are underemployed. Eigenbrad added that 33.8% of college graduates are employed in a career that doesn’t require their degree. Suozzi promoted Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in Genesee County as a high technology manufacturing center that generates a lot of employment for the region.
BOCES 2, along with RochesterWorks and the Golisano Institute, are test sites for the ACT WorkKeys Assessments.
CWD plans to offer a pilot program, funded by ESL Federal Credit Union and Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation (MCIDC), for districts to administer WorkKeys assessments to a group of high school students. CWD also plans on using WorkKeys assessments with their adult students, and opening testing sessions for anyone in the community to take the assessments and earn their NCRC credential. Future plans include aiding districts and organizations in the community who would like to become their own testing center to administer WorkKeys assessments.
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