Alaska Career Readyand WorkKeys Job profilingTake the Guesswork out of Hiring

Presentation by: Krista Heard, Kim Kolvig, and Laurie Fuglvog

Employee credentialing program that tests and scores job skills

A partnership between DOLWD and EED Serves 4 main stakeholders

ACR is sponsored by the State of Alaska so there is no cost for employers or jobseekers to participate in the program

Alaska Career Ready (ACR)

EED DOLWD

Educators Employers

Students Job Seekers

Allow students and job seekers to evaluate “career readiness”

The credential gives job seekers a competitive edge- proving to employers that they have the right skills and right attitude for the job

Employers can take the guesswork out of hiring, using to hire, train, and retain the most qualified employees

Educators can help ensure students are ready for the workplace

Alaska Career Ready

Strengthening the WorkforceFuture and ExistingHelp new and existing businesses meet their

workforce needs Identify gaps between student/jobseekers

skills and employer needs Bridge the gap

To connect education, employers, and job seekers

ACR Objectives

Provide Educators & Employers◦ A means to assess the student and job seekers

current skills and methods to improve◦ Increase the number of qualified applicants◦ Place the right people in the right positions◦ Give employers a competitive edge

Reducing turnover Reduces employee training costs Saves hiring time and money Increasing productivity and profitability

◦ Hire the right person the first time

ACR Goals

Provide Students & Job Seekers◦ Career Information- what foundational academic

skills are required for various careers◦ Assessment- to measure skill levels◦ Instruction- Instruction to enhance skills◦ Credential- opportunity to document skills by

earning a National Career Readiness Certificate

ACR Goals

The WorkKeys System Developed by the ACT

Corporation Job skills measurement

system Measures “real-world”

foundational skills critical to job success

Skills needed for any occupation-skilled or professional- and at any level of education

Why WorkKeys Employers ask for employees who have

“more math” or “better reading skills” WorkKeys defines those skills using a

common metric and common language

BusinessStudents & Job

Seekers Education

WorkKeys® and the National Career Readiness Certificate:the common language between business and education.

Workplace Observation

1 2

WorkKeys Foundational Workplace SkillsAnd Assessment Levels in Blue

Reading for Information (RI) Applied Mathematics (AM) Locating Information (LI)

Questions are contextualized and based on situations in the every day work world

What is Measured?

“ We need employees with sharp reasoning skills and intellect”

Reading for Information (RI):

blank blank

Measures reading comprehension and reasoning skills when using written text on the job including memos, letters, directions, signs, notices, bulletins, policies, and regulations.

From teaching to bartending to life-or-death situations reading form information is a necessary workplace skill

Applied Mathematics (AM):

blank blank

Measures workplace mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills from basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to multiple math functions like calculating percentage discounts and markups.

The exam problems are computations all of us encounter in every day life. Test takers are allowed calculators are given formula sheets with conversations. The test emphasizes the importance of problem solving skills.

Locating Information (LI):

blank blank

Measures comprehension and application of workplace graphics such as charts, graphs, tables, forms, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, maps and instrument gauges.

There is no way for an employee to immediately know the answer to every potential problem, but they have to know how to find it. That’s the prized skill that’s hard to discern in a job interview.

15

National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)

Gold

Silver

Platinum

Bronze3 3 3

4 4 4

5 5 5

6 6 6

Foundational skills for ~ 30% of the jobs in the WorkKeys database

Foundational skills for ~ 65% of the jobs in the WorkKeys database

Foundational skills for ~ 90% of the jobs in the WorkKeys database

Foundational skills for ~ 100% of the jobs in the WorkKeys database

NCRC is awarded at four levels based on an individuals performance on the assessment

RECOGNIZE the credential, starting today, as proof of job skills and initiative when attached to a resume or presented by a potential employee.

REQUEST the credential from job applicants, as you become more familiar with the program. Start including “National Career Readiness Certificate Preferred” in your job advertising and announcements. If job seekers don’t have the credential, refer them to a local Alaska Job Center office.

REQUIRE the credential when hiring or use it to evaluate employees for promotion, once you have profiled the job.

How employers can use the NCRC

All 11th Graders – take all 3 assessments Testing fees paid by EED Internet or Paper/Pencil EED will pay for one administration as an

11th grader (REQUIRED) and one 12th grader (OPTIONAL)

Education Regulations

Effective 2010-2011

Students need to connect the dots between school and career

Career and College Ready State Education Plan calls for all students to

be ready for post-secondary training and career

What is the Intent of EED

The Department is bringing “awareness” of job profiling, National Career Readiness Certificates and the WorkKeys® system to employers through a variety of channels:

 DOLWD Alaska Trends magazine, new employer info packets, newsletters, conferences, presentations, and mailings.

ACT certified Job Profiler on staff working with employers to profile occupations, training curriculums and jobs.

Outreach connected with the state’s labor exchange system, ALEXsys credentialing project will include a direct outreach to employers about the career readiness credential. The enhancements being made to ALEXsys will: Allow employers to include a preference for a national career readiness certificate

in their online job orders .  Allow job seekers to include their licenses and credential information, along with

their skills and work history. 

 Job Center Business Connection staff work daily with employers on job orders and other services, including the value of candidates with career readiness certificates.

 

Employer Outreach

BP uses WorkKeys® for hiring Process Technicians Operating Engineers requires Apprenticeship applicants to have a

minimum level 4 on all 3 WorkKeys® assessments State of Alaska Accounting Clerk job class was Profiled and Silver

NCRC is now accepted as meeting minimum qualifications to apply State of Alaska Office Assistant I was Profiled and a Bronze NCRC

is now accepted as meeting minimum qualifications Construction Academy participants statewide are using the NCRC as

a pre-requisite for getting into the Academy MASST (Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training) worker trainees

in Job Centers are all working in CR 101 and getting their NCRC’s NANA Management Services (NMS) uses WorkKeys® and NCRC

GCI has added a link on their careers introduction page to include the Alaska Career Ready client brochure. Some of their entry-level jobs include preference for the NCRC.

Alaskan Employers who useWorkKeys® Assessments and/or NCRC as of 1-28-11

Alaskan Employers who useWorkKeys® Assessments and/or NCRC as of 1-28-11 cont.

ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) added WorkKeys® Applied Mathematics Level 4 as an option to meet the math requirement.

AJEATT Inside Wireman Apprenticeship Program in Anchorage accepts WorkKeys® Applied Math Level 6 as an option to meet the math requirement. Applicants are encouraged to get their NCRC. Also, Students who need to improve their math skills can use CR 101 to prepare for a math class in their own computer lab.

Alaska Teamster-Employer Service Training Trust asks all applicants to obtain a score of 4 or better on the WorkKeys assessments to add to their application packet.

Blood Bank of Alaska soon will be asking Phlebotomist applicants to obtain a score of Reading for Information Level 4, Locating Information Level 4 and Applied Mathematics Level 3 as part of their application process.

Plumbers & Pipefitters in Anchorage– Applicants for the Apprenticeship program must take the WorkKeys assessments and score at; Reading for Information Level 4, Applied Mathematics Level 5, and Locating Information Level 4, prior to their application submission

IBEW - encourage applicants get their NCRC although it is not required

Job Centers offer WorkKeys® testing to Job Seekers

WorkKeys® assessments, used to earn a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), are available in most Alaska Job Centers to job seekers who register to search for work in the Alaska Labor EXchange system (ALEXsys). The assessments are proctored in a scheduled workshop setting and capacity may be limited. Job seekers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the Career Ready 101 pre-courseware before taking the assessments to ensure success. Please contact your local job center for further information and a listing of their scheduled workshops.

NCRC’s to date

Total number of NCRC’s for DOL – 1,520 Total number of NCRC’s for EED – 8,936

Total for Alaska as of April 2011: 10,456

WorkKeys System

What is WorkKeys Profiling?

The WorkKeys® job profiling component offers a concrete way for businesses to analyze the foundational workplace skills and levels needed for entry into and effective performance of jobs.

Profile results are used for WorkKeys assessments to determine if applicants are qualified for a job.

Provides dependable skill levels for a common language between students, job seekers, employers and educators for workforce development. E.g.: Whether HS Diploma or GED or long time out of school, all

have common WorkKeys Skill Level Score that they need for the job.

The Profile sets the workplace skill levels required. Career Ready 101 Courseware (self-paced Instruction) and WorkKeys Assessments help to identify skill gaps:

RI = Reading for Information Skill, AM = Applied Mathematics Skill, LI = Locating Info. Skill

WorkKeys Profiling BenefitsEmployers have more options for using WorkKeys once a job is profiled

Supports hiring, promotion and training decisions:◦ Analysis of a job, curriculum or occupation◦ Pinpoint foundational workplace skill levels

needed to accomplish critical tasks◦ Find and keep the right workers with the right

skills◦ Reduce turnover◦ Save on recruiting and training costs◦ For jobs with many hr and clerical positions, a

profile can result in reclassification of positions and some staff promotions.

Uses focus groups and an ACT trained Job Profiler

Proven methodology and reliable results

Step 1: Profiler develops Initial Task List

Site Visit, Job Shadowing, Gather materials

Step 2: Task Analysis with Focus Group

Step 3: Skill Analysis with Focus Group

Step 4: Final Report

WorkKeys Job Profile Steps:

IdentifyWorkKeys SkillsRequired for Job(Profiler i.d. during profile and with ER in advance)

Using the WorkKeys System forDecision-Making Support

CandidatesTake assessment

JobIncumbentstake assessment

End Process

Certify

Place

Or assign to next stage of selection process

Promote

Select for Employment

Set StandardsRequired skill level performance From the Job Profile

ProvideLearningExperience Train?

CareerReady 101 or other

Training

Meet SkillStandards?

Y

N

N

Y

“The WorkKeys profiling of the Office Assistant I job class enabled us to add another qualification route that we expect to increase our ability to hire competent, capable individuals, especially in the State’s most rural offices.”

– Cindy Gouveia, State of Alaska,Division of Personnel and Labor Relations

“The WorkKeys Profile of the Direct Support Staff in Adult Day Services Occupation, provided a common language for our members.  It pulled out common skill sets to support our training and career pathway decisions as we strive to decrease turnover in this high demand, entry-level occupation.”

– Beverly TallmannAssociate Director, Center for Human

DevelopmentUniversity of Alaska Anchorage

“The WorkKeys Curriculum Profile results for our Inside Wireman Apprenticeship program allows applicants lacking math requirements to be offered a WorkKeys assessment as one of the methods to get there.

We also suggest the Career Readiness Certificate as a great means to improve their application.”

- Dave McAllen, Director Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship Training Trust

(AJEATT), Anchorage 

WorkKeys Skill Levels for Entry Jobs Profiled in Alaska

CompanyProfiled Job, Curriculum,

Occupation

Reading for

Information

ENTRY

Locating Informatio

nENTRY

Applied Math

ENTRY

Teamwork or Other

Skill ENTRY

AK DOLWDEmployment Security Specialist I at AJCN

4 4 3

SOA Accounting Clerk 4 4 4

SOA Office Assistant I 3 3 3

AJEATT IBEWYear 1 Inside Wireman

Apprentice6 5 6

AADSADirect Support Staff in

Adult Day Services4 4

n/a Math3-BusW

4 – TW4 – L

4 - OB

JATC P&PYear 1 Plumbers and

Pipefitters Apprentice4 4

6 – FBX5 – ANCH

GCI Field Service Technician4

4 3

BBAK Phlebotomist 4 4 3

Employers can't afford not to do WorkKeys Job Profiling because Job Profiling is a bargaincompared to the cost of a bad hire.

We offer the first job profile at no cost to the employer!

Employers place a high value on WorkKeys.

Job Profilers often hear that they’ve never hired employees as qualified as they have with WorkKeys.

Case Studies from satisfied businesses:http://www.act.org/workkeys/employers/case.html

In Alaska 10,000+ students testing yearly◦ 80% will earn certificates

Is there any reason not to acknowledge the certificate?

Stand up for a skilled workforce!

Our hope today is that employers take a second look at applicants with the NCRC and recognize that these workers give them the best chance.

How does this benefit you?

For more information:Laurie Fuglvog - DOLWDWorkKeys® ProfilerEmployment Security AnalystPhone: (907) 465-5926 laurie.fuglvog@alaska.gov

We are an equal opportunity employer/program.Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with

disabilities.

Kim Kolvig - DOLWDACR Program Employment Security AnalystPhone: (907) 465-5948 Kimberly.kolvig@alaska.gov

Krista Heard – EEDProgram AssistantPhone: (907) 465-6410Krista.heard@alaska.gov

http://www.careerready.alaska.gov/