News


Local Mississippi WRCs Enter Virtual Reality for Skills Training March 12, 2023

Students across the Golden Triangle will soon have the opportunity to learn how to properly change oil, use a circular saw and even how to operate a fire extinguisher from the comfort of a traditional classroom. Middle school through adult education students can soon explore new careers and train for them in a safe and controlled environment through virtual reality.

Pennsylvania's First Work Ready Community Location Prepares for Launch March 09, 2023

Tioga County is one of four counties in Pennsylvania that does not have a career and technical center. Now, a group is working on developing career readiness programs for high school students and adults.

Kristin Hamilton, executive director with Develop Tioga, the county’s economic development organization, spoke to the Wellsboro Rotary Club on March 2 about the county’s TiogaWorks program, which will help the county become an ACT Work Ready Community.

Manhattan Ranks as a Top Metro, Kansas Wins Governors Cup from Site Selection March 09, 2023

Good things are happening in Manhattan, Kansas! The Greater Manhattan region and State of Kansas have been recognized for economic development activity by Site Selection magazine. The magazine’s annual rankings of new and expanded facility projects are considered “the industry scoreboard” by corporate real estate analysts.

ACT Certified its First Work Ready Community Ten Years Ago this Week March 07, 2023

Jasper County (Joplin, Missouri) was first on the national map as ACT's first-ever Work Ready Community in March of 2013. Archive video courtesy of Missouri Governors Office 

Inca Presswood Shares Employer Success with WorkKeys March 06, 2023

Inca Presswood has been using the ACT Workeys for over 6 years at both the Sardis, MS and Dover, Ohio facilities. Workeys has been instrumental in our hiring analysis as well as our existing team members evaluation and development programs.  It has been a trusted and valuable tool for our operations.   Dale R Hart, EVP

Arkansas Customizes Statewide Recommendation to Award College Credit for NCRC March 01, 2023

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a statewide recommendation on awarding college credit for the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate. The guidance suggests options for Technical Math or Technical Writing.

Career Transformation Course Integrates WorkKeys Among Five Credentials February 27, 2023

Students taking a new course at Southern Union State Community College can earn five certifications in six weeks, as showcased by the Times-News. Along with the WorkKeys NCRC, students earn certicates in OSHA, Forklift Driving, CPR, Financial Literacy, and Computer Literacy.

Podcast: Boosting Career Pathways with College Credit through the WorkKeys NCRC February 15, 2023

Career Pathways are a special blend of training and job progression. When the training includes post-secondary learning, the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT can translate to college credit that jumpstarts the learning journey. Awarding credit through Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, for short, boosts confidence and increases the pace to program completion. Colleges increase enrollment while helping build the regional talent pipeline. 

The American Council of Education recently upgraded their recommendations on credit hours awarded for the NCRC. Join us on Episode 37 as we explore the benefits of PLA; make connections between WorkKeys levels and post-secondary performance; and examine how administrators and faculty can use WorkKeys Estimator to align their competencies to specific WorkKeys benchmarks.

Recovery and Resiliency Toolkit January 27, 2023

Referenced in the Work Ready Communities Boot Camp

Asset Mapping Roadmap Helps WRCs to Map Markets, Assets, and Personas January 27, 2023

The U.S. Department of Labor commissioned the Council on Competitiveness to produce an asset mapping roadmap that goes in depth with tips applicable to mapping your ecosystem.