Supervisors agreed to allocate $200,000 of various grant funds received in excess of the budgeted amount to address several-instructional-related items, including Balanced Literacy Initiative, instruction coaching and National Career Readiness certification
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The WorkKeys NCRC provides a solid foundation for effective career pathways. This quick video provides an example of stackable credentials and career progression.
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Arkansas Planning and Development District.
According to ACT, participating counties, regions and states help:
• Business and industry know exactly what foundational skills they need for a productive
workforce – and to easily communicate their needs.
• Individuals understand what skills are required by employers – and how to prepare
themselves for success.
• Policy makers consistently measure the skills gap in a timely manner at the national,
state, and local levels.
• Educators close the skills gap, via tools integrated into career pathways with
stackable industry-recognized credentials.
• Economic developers use an on-demand reporting tool to market the quality of
their workforce.
The communities of
Van Buren and Alma will
be officially announcing
their participation in
promoting the National
Career Readiness Certificate
(NCRC) program as
a county-wide effort to
prepare the workforce for
current and future needs.
Video on re-entry program in MO
Employer-led ex-offender programs have already seen signs of success.
One such program began in 2015 when Jacobs piloted an idea that Missouri corrections officials had never tried before: offering a standardized employment readiness test to a group of 18 inmates who would soon be released from the Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City. The test was ACT’s WorkKeys assessment, which is used by thousands of companies around the world and measures skills like applied math, graphic literacy, locating information and critical thinking.
Having a WorkKeys credential helps put ex-offender on a path to success and assures employers that the skills a candidate brings to a role outweigh perceived risks. When paired with the training and professional development opportunities available during incarceration, inmates can upskill and gain industry certifications that help them land good jobs when they return to the workforce
Hancock County is the first Mississippi coastal county to earn the Work Ready Community Accreditation through ACT. For two years, the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission teamed with school districts and board of supervisors to earn the WRC Accreditation. Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission CEO Bill Cork said, “What they know now is based on their national career test ready certification, how they will fit into a career in technical workforce.”
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week released a report, Workforce 2030, outlining a concerning look at the future of the Missouri economy. The solution the report offers is a series of new and expanded workforce development proposals to attract workers to the state.
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