News

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. 

The Charlotte Gazette newspaper reminded readers of the Work Ready Communities designation for Charlotte County, Virginia. The feature showcased benefits of the WRC and the progress in earning and maintaining the designation. Regional workforce director, Terra Napier, and County Administrator, Daniel Witt, provided background and praise for the initiative.

Mark Twain High School and the Ralls County Board of Education celebrated nine high
school seniors who have excelled on their ACT WorkKeys® tests and earned Platinum
National Career Readiness Certificates.  Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Adria Palmer assisted students to help make sure they are Career and Work Ready. Out of a Senior Class of 57 testers, 92% earned certificates. 

Site Selection Magazine's annual review of employment climate of states with seven regions of the U.S. is out for 2023. The ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate is one of five metrics utlized by the publisher. 

“The program can be life-changing for students by offering them the opportunity to make a living wage and provide for their families,” said Aurora Bihler, BUD program coordinator and member of Iron Workers Local 396. “It’s an introduction to the building trades that offers the skills you should have before you go into a construction career like OSHA 10 and CPR/first aid, and it’s also a hands-on program at the apprenticeship schools to see what kind of work you enjoy and what would be a good fit.”

Applicants must be 18 or older, eligible to work in the United States, have WorkKeys exam results and meet Military Selective Service Requirements, if born male. Preferred credentials are a Level 5 score on WorkKeys Applied Math and WorkKeys Workplace Documents, a negative drug test and a high school diploma or equivalent.

The mission of the St. Louis BUD program is to build a more inclusive workforce by increasing construction trade participation among traditionally under-represented groups, including minorities and women. It provides pre-apprentices with the opportunity to visit local building trades unions to give them hands-on basic training and a feel for each of the trades.

Southern Union Adult Education's Valley Campus offers a free class empowering students to earn up to eight professional certifications. The five-weeek class runs 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Certificates in addition to the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate include OSHA, three different Northstart Digital Literacy certificates, financial literacy, and CPR.

Among the themes to emerge across the 50 state legislatures and governor’s offices over the past year is how to attract funding from a family of major federal programs toting hundreds of billions of dollars in funds. The various challenges and grants follow closely behind Recovery Act funds for which the states are still finding, it is presumed, the highest, best use.

But there are other motifs arising across the land: Broadband expansion to reduce the digital divide is one. Prioritizing career and technical education is another. And don’t forget finding ways to prepare shovel-ready sites.

In the annual Rankings that Matter series, Site Selection utilizes percentage growth of the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate, among five other key development metrics.

Overseeing the ACT Work Ready program in Hawkins County have been Industrial Development Board coordinator Rebecca Baker, left, and Cooper Standard human resources manager Gabrielle Buchanan, right. They brought the award to the Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce breakfast in December.

Donna Bailey, vice president of human resources at RoyOMartin, joined ACT at the 2022 Workforce Summit held in New Orleans. She was the keynote speaker during the lunch awards ceremony where she highlighted the company’s WoodWorks program, which works with high school students looking to enter the wood products manufacturing field.

Watch the video to hear more from Donna about:

The ACT® Work Ready Communities initiative aligns local education systems and workforce to build a talent pipeline, giving prospective employers and employees a roadmap for success. In Arkansas, there has been a statewide effort to invest in our future workforce based on ACT’s research in developing industry-driven skillsets. As a proud owner of an ACT Workkeys® National Career Readiness Certificate, I can attest the assessments identify key foundational skill levels employers need for candidates to be successful across any industry. Our team in Arkansas will continue to encourage businesses to see the value of ACT Workkeys and for communities to pursue the ACT Work Ready Certification.

Clint O’Neal
Executive Director