News

Lorain Community College (Lorain County, Ohio WRC) credentials advising and career development staff in regional economics to connect more students to in-demand jobs. The series is now part of a larger Career by Design initiative to rethink how everything from advising to the general education curriculum relates to career paths in the northeast Ohio region.

The Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the 2022 graduates who have obtained the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC). The Chamber was honored to present platinum, gold, silver, and bronze medals to students in recognition of their hard work.

“The Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to support this initiative throughout our local high schools in Arkansas and Texas,” said Robbin Bass, Director of Business Retention and Expansion at the Chamber. “We’re excited to celebrate the success of the students and see where they go in their future endeavors.”

Cargill, a global leader in food production and agricultural services, announced today that it will build a new soybean processing facility near Caruthersville in Pemiscot County. When complete, the new facility will be one of Cargill’s largest soy processing facilities in North America and create 45 new high-paying jobs in the region. Pemiscot celebrated its WRC achievement in a recent ceremony with Gov. Parson.

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion hosted a webinar recently on innovative pre-apprenticeship approach that helps prepare people with disabilities for careers in advanced manufacturing.  Frank Falatyn, President of FALA Technologies, joined the stage with Hillary Nichols, a Supervisor for Employment Services with the Resource Center for Accessible Living. Frank presented on using the WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate, the WorkKeys curriculum approach to applied math, and suggestions to advocate to business leaders for diversity and inclusion through skills-based hiring.  Look for NCRC highlights around the 23, 48, and 51 minute marks of the webinar video.

Congratulations to the Work Ready Communities in Ottawa, OK  and Boone, MO for selection to the 2022 Reinventing Our Communities (ROC) program through the Federal Reserve system.  ROC engages participating community leaders on the topic of an equitable workforce recovery. The year-long collective helps members apply racial equity solutions to strengthen regional economies and foster better economic outcomes. 

The state is working with the company Wiley to recruit dislocated workers for education and training, rather than waiting for them to show up.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Jenna about ACT’s WorkKeys products, National Career Readiness Certificate, and Work Ready Communities program. They discuss the importance of listening to the market and using data and research to truly understand needs and solve real problems. Jenna also shares how the pandemic has created opportunities around credentials, remote work, and an overall emphasis on adapting to future disruptions.

The El Dorado Chamber's Business Education Strategies Team announced a career fair later this month for employers and workforce groups to connect students to opportunities. As all high school juniors in Kansas have the shot at earning the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate, the event links NCRC-holders with highly-succesful work-based learning opportunities.

Personal journeys through education and career pathways are often filled with challenges and obstacles, making progress difficult and compromise frequent.  Chelsea Williams of Reimagine Talent Co joins us on Episode 33 of Ready for Work. Chelsea helps us discover the role of occupational identify for career pathway success with tips for job counselors, educators, and employers alike.

Four Missouri counties have earned Certified Work Ready Community status. This ACT designation program that recognizes successful efforts by community, education and business leaders to strengthen workforce training and development in order to meet the economic development needs of their communities. Laclede, Morgan, Howard, and Pemiscot counties each recently earned the designation.