Innovation:
Work Readiness Credential
One common employer complaint in recent years has been that it is very difficult to know whether entry level job candidates can read, write, or communicate well, even if they have a high school diploma. To address this problem, there are at least three major approaches underway to develop and advance the use of assessments of “work readiness.” The expectation is that a “Work Readiness Credential” will help job seekers demonstrate their work readiness to employers, help to streamline the hiring process, and help training organizations better understand which skills are valued by employers and required for entry level employment (SRI International, 2005).
Equipped for the Future’s Work Readiness Credential
Equipped for the Future (an initiative of the National Institute for Literacy) has developed a Work Readiness Credential with a partnership of state agencies, business leaders, and national organizations. The skills addressed in the credential include nine communication, interpersonal, problem solving and learning skills, which are assessed by computer in four separate modules:
- Work Readiness Reading Test
- Work Readiness Math Test
- Work Readiness Oral Language Test (assesses Speaking and Listening)
- Work Readiness Situational Judgment Test (assesses five skills: Cooperate with Others, Resolve Conflict and Negotiate, Solve Problems and Make Decisions, Observe Critically, Take Responsibility for Learning)
The Work Readiness Credential project is now housed at the Center for Workforce Preparation (CWP) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. As of 2005, five states (Florida, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and Rhode Island) and the District of Columbia had joined the partnership. (SRI International, 2005). More information on the Work Readiness Credential can be found at http://eff.cls.utk.edu/workreadiness/default.htm.
ACT’s WorkKeys Work Readiness Credential
A number of states have chosen to use ACT’s WorkKeys as the foundation for a portable work readiness credential. The Louisiana Governor’s Office for the Workforce Commission launched the Louisiana WorkReady! Certificate program in 2003, which assesses for skills required in more than 11,000 jobs nationwide. The program awards Gold, Silver and Bronze WorkReady! Certificates to participants based on skill level. More than 6,300 have been issued since the start of the program. More information about the Louisiana initiative can be found on its website, http://www.laworkforce.net/WorkReady/. Other state programs include the Kentucky Employability Certificate (http://www.kctcs.edu/workforcenetwork/kec/), the Virginia Career Readiness Certificate (www.crc.virginia.gov), and Indiana@Work (http://www.act.org/workkeys/initiatives/indiana.html).
CASAS Workforce Skills Certification System
Another effort is the Workforce Skills Certification System (WSCS), which CASAS has developed with an employer advisory group. The WSCS contains a reading/math test, problem solving and critical thinking tests, applied performance tests, and a Certification Assessment Portfolio. While the portfolio is specifically for use with the industries of high-tech and telecommunications, health, and banking, the WSCS itself certifies that students have achieved a set of skill standards that may be used within and across all industries. A handful of states has begun to implement WSCS pilot projects. For more information, visit the CASAS website at http://www.casas.org/