Transcript Slide 1

NCRC & WorkKeys
Understanding the Key
Components for Use
Rachael Jungblut
Executive Director MINCRC Advocates
Grand Rapids Community College
www.michigancrc.org
Rachael Jungblut
Exec. Director
MINCRC Advocates
[email protected]
616-234-3623
www.michigancrc.org
The National Career Readiness Certificate addresses these
needs:
•Certifies the common workplace skills and trainability of
students and job seekers
•Is a nationally-recognized, portable credential
•Is recognized by both education and business
•Provides a common measurement between individuals and
specific jobs
•Has been adopted by over 20 states and growing
http://www.act.org/certificate
www.michigancrc.org
• No one questions the importance associated with employer
adoption of the NCRC.
• Recognize that the NCRC exists in a traditional supply and
demand market. It exists in Michigan High Schools, and in
MIWorks!
• So the questions include: how do we help employers
engage; how can the NCRC be used by employers; and why
should employers want to be engaged—how does the
NCRC fit to their priorities?
www.michigancrc.org
To answer questions of “why” and
“how”, it is helpful to consider the
postsecondary talent identification
and development system
(admissions system).
www.michigancrc.org
A strength for which higher education in the U.S. has been
lauded and applauded is its diversity including colleges and
universities that range in:
• Size
• Philosophy
• Make-up of the student population
• Range of offers
• Areas of specialization
• Funding sources, annual budgets, endowments
Within this great diversification of offerings, all of the two- and
four-year colleges/universities shared a common goal of
admitting individuals to their respective institutions with the
skills necessary to benefit from and contribute to the
institution’s offerings: Individuals who are “college ready.”
www.michigancrc.org
How does the admissions model work?
Assessment results are used in a compensatory model as one
of several criteria in making the admission decision along with:
• High school G.P.A.
• Rank in class
• Course taking pattern
• Recommendation
• Candidate essay
Results also inform course placement decisions.
www.michigancrc.org
The colleges know from experience that ACT
research and local studies (if conducted) document
the predictability of student performance based on
ACT results. The relationship between performance
on the ACT assessment and performance in college
courses is well documented.
www.michigancrc.org
What are the outcomes that result from the
admissions model?
1. Individuals pay $45 to take an assessment.
2. Schools review and teach skills pertinent to performance on the
ACT assessment.
3. Parents lobby schools to prepare their son/daughter with the skills
necessary to take the ACT assessment.
4. Students seek ACT assessment preparation experiences.
5. Third party organizations offer test preparation opportunities.
6. Key publics are interested in regional/state performance on the
ACT assessment as one indicator of school performance.
7. Realtors use ACT results by school district to position property for
sale.
8. A set of common college readiness skills become the focus for a
cross-section of stakeholders.
www.michigancrc.org
College Admissions Analogy:
The colleges speak to thousands of high
schools and millions of individuals via
the ACT
The NCRC provides the same opportunity
to employers.
www.michigancrc.org
The NCRC Can have the same Impact?
• Aggregate the Voice of the Employer
• Endorse the NCRC and its use within the employer
community.
• Require the NCRC for hiring purposes.
• Advocate for expanded use of the NCRC through
documenting successful practices.
www.michigancrc.org
How does the college admissions model fit to
the employer use model?
1. Employers aggregate their demand by requiring the NCRC from
job applicants (for all or a number of their jobs).
2. Individuals acquire the NCRC through the services of the
workforce or educational development systems or independently.
3. Employers use the NCRC as one of several criteria for hiring into
their workforce (compensatory model). ACT research reports that
individuals earning an NCRC are more likely to perform and/or
learn in the workplace. Employer case studies support ACT’s
findings as well.
4. Workforce development systems and schools focus their attention
on preparing individuals with essential employability skills.
www.michigancrc.org
What does this mean for the corporate community?
Potentially plenty!
Corporations have objectives not dissimilar to those of
colleges and universities. Within all of the corporate diversity,
corporations—as with colleges and universities—seek to admit
(hire) employees with the core essential skills necessary to
benefit from and contribute to the work of the corporation.
They seek to have employees “work ready” just as
postsecondary institutions seek college ready individuals.
The lesson corporate America can learn from higher education
is the power of acting in common to address a common
need—better job applicants. The problem in the past was not
having an easily implemented common standard to which
individuals could be held. That has changed.
www.michigancrc.org
• Skill Areas of The Career Readiness Certificates
– Reading for Information
– Applied Mathematics
– Locating Information
Three Certificate levels:
• Bronze – Minimum of Level 3 in all Skill Areas
– Qualified for 30% of Jobs
• Silver – Minimum of Level 4
– Qualified for 65% of Jobs
• Gold – Minimum of Level 5
– Qualified for 85% of Jobs
www.michigancrc.org
TM
THE SOLUTION
www.michigancrc.org
www.michigancrc.org
WorkKeys is the measurement tool.
WorkKeys quantifies skills in the following
categories:
• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Technology
• Business Writing
• Listening
• Locating Information
• Observation
• Reading for Information
• Teamwork
• Writing
Slide 16
www.michigancrc.org
Job Profile – identifies the skills and skill levels needed to be successful on the job.
Assessments – shows the current skill levels of an individual.
Training – helps individuals and employers correct skill gaps.
www.michigancrc.org
Qualified applicants
1. Foundational skills (NCRC)

Reading for Information, Applied Math,
Locating Information
2. Occupational skills

Certificate; degree; license
3. Experience

Years of specific experience; years of related experience
4. Soft skills

Performance—behavioral concerns; Talent—personality indicators;
Fit—job fit, interests and values
5. Other

Reference checks; validation of job performance, experiences,
responsibility and contributions; drug screen; negative history search
www.michigancrc.org
1.
2.
Require the NCRC Require a specific Level
of NCRC – Bronze,
Silver or Gold
Require a specific Level
Score on a specific
WorkKeys Test
Perform an Occupational Reference or
Estimator
Perform a Skill Map or Profile
Human Resource Policies, Employee Handbook and Link
to Employee Performance, Metrics
www.michigancrc.org
Recommended use of the certificate:
• Require the NCRC for all or a subset of jobs.
• Do not specify level of certificate—use performance to
inform hiring decision.
• Use NCRC as one of several criteria for selection/hiring.
www.michigancrc.org
Require a Specific NCRC
• Require the NCRC for all or a subset of jobs.
• Require a Specific Level of NCRC for all or a subset of
jobs.
– Document your selection criteria with one of the following
processes
– Occupational Reference, using ONET & ACT Occupational
Database, combined with your job description
– ACT’s Estimator Product
• Use NCRC as one of several criteria for selection/hiring.
* For information on ACT’s job analysis tools Estimator
http://www.act.org/workkeys/overview/prod.html#analysis
www.michigancrc.org
Require Specific Level Scores for Specific Tests
www.act.org/workkeys/profiles/occuprof
Title/O*NET Number/Career
Cluster/Career Area
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and
Compacting Machine Operators and Tenders
51-9041.00
Range
AM
AT
L
LI
OB
RI
TW
W
3
4
3
4
4
4
3
3
3
Number of
Jobs
__________________________________
Title/O*NET Number/Career
Cluster/Career Area
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters,
Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
6
3
5
2
4
3
5
3
6
3
5
3
6
2
55
22
9
60
48
51
33
13
AM
AT
L
LI
OB
RI
TW
W
4
4
2
4
4
4
4
3
51-4021.01
Range
Number of Jobs
3
5
10
3
6
6
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2
2
0
3
6
10
4
6
8
3
6
9
3
4
7
3
4
Certificate Adoption and Use Model
Significant benefit to employer and
employer’s workforce performance
with commensurate cost
Major benefit to employer with
modest costs
Full Deployment of
WorkKeys System
Pre-Selection Using
Certificate Levels and
Assessment Results
Focus on WorkKeys
System
Focus Shifting
to WorkKeys
System
Training/Development
Low cost to employer, no out-ofpocket expense. Significant benefit
to community and substantial benefit
to employer
National Career
Readiness Certificate
Adoption
www.michigancrc.org
Focus on Credential
Projected benefits for employers
Employers have reported several benefits associated with their
use of the WorkKeys system. These benefits are listed below:
1. A reduction in: training time due to a more targeted overtime approach;
overtime; turnover; scrap expenditures.
2. Improved quality of new hires.
3. Increased productivity.
4. Cash flow improvements.
5. Improved efficiency of operational procedures.
6. Documentation to meet ODHA requirements.
7. Improved employee morale.
8. Accelerated training given new hires readiness to learn.
www.michigancrc.org
Projected benefits for employers
9. Better fit of employee to work.
10. Boost in quality of work.
11. Increased job satisfaction; skill levels; participation in further education.
12. Greater diversity in the employee pool.
13. Improved ROI.
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Questions/Dialogue
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National Career Readiness Certificate Partners
www.michigancrc.org
– Rachael Jungblut, GRCC, 616-234-3623, [email protected]
– Bill Guest, Metrics Reporting, 616-430-0828,
[email protected]
•
ACT WorkKeys, www.act.org/workkeys
• Steve Anderson, 563.391.3742, [email protected]
•
KeyTrain, www.keytrain.com
• Brian Heerdt 616-234-3845 , [email protected]
www.michigancrc.org
Rachael Jungblut
Exec. Director
MINCRC Advocates
[email protected]
616-234-3623
www.michigancrc.org