Barbara Bolin, Ph.D.Executive Director

Career Readiness Consortium at Indiana University804-310-2552

bolinb@earthlink.netwww.careerreadinesscertificate.org

The Career Readiness Certificate

“Despite building elaborate growth models for 20 years, economists have failed to prove that education and training significantly raise a country’s long-term growth.”

Facts of Life . . .

“In 2004, Canadian research found that, if you measure actual skills rather than educational qualifications, human capital becomes a strong predictor of economic growth.”

Counting Heads, The EconomistAugust 2004

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2000 2010

BA Degree orHigher

AssociateDegree

Post-SecondaryAward

OJT/RelatedWorkExperience

Data Compiled by the USDOL, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002 - 2003

Employers have TWO major concerns

with potential and incumbent employees:

1. Poor work ethic

How do you:a) legally assess, and b) train to overcome deficiencies?

2. Lack of basic learning skills, i.e. TRAINABILITY for rapidly changing technologies and careers

The CRC was designed to address this issue, and to be the basis for expanded credentials forspecific industry sectors and careers

Industry Sector 1

O1 O2 O3O4

F

F

F F

F

F

O1

O2

O3

Industry Sector 2

F

F = Foundation SkillsO = Occupation-Specific Skills

Readiness skills

The New World Realities•Employers need TRAINABLE employees

•Credentials are the new currency of employment

• Traditional approaches to education are fading

• Business processes are transportable and will follow skill sets and trainability

WorkKeys Skill Assessments

• Criterion referenced; Not Normative; Criterion referenced; Not Normative;

• Work-relatedWork-related, Timed, Secure, Timed, Secure

• Certify Skill LevelsCertify Skill Levels

• Paper-Pencil, Video,Paper-Pencil, Video, Audio, Spanish, and Computer-Audio, Spanish, and Computer-

BasedBased

• Meets EEOC GuidelinesMeets EEOC Guidelines

• Legally defensibleLegally defensible

• Used in Any CombinationUsed in Any Combination

• Two Forms (for pre/post testing)Two Forms (for pre/post testing)

2006 WorkKeys update:

• 12,200 profiles across the country

• 12,000,000 individual assessments

Database of profiles shows >85% use RFI, AM, and LI assessments

Career Readiness Certificate Levels and Employability

Bronze Level –Core employability skills for approximately 30% of the jobs

Silver Level - Core employability skills for approximately 65% of the jobs

Gold Level - Core employability skills for approximately 90% of the jobs

Employers, workforce development professionals and governments in at least 20 states agree on the following:

1) There is a need for a portable skills credential based on a common language, easily understood by employers, educators, and citizens;

2) This common language should be WorkKeys®;3) The three WorkKeys® assessments that should form the basis of

the credential are Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading For Information;

4) The credential should be multi-level;5) The scores for each level should be 3's for Bronze, 4's for Silver,

and 5's for Gold. (Note: KY and IN issue only the Silver and Gold levels)

National Situation

Skill Area Bronze Silver Gold

Reading for Information

3 4 5

Applied Mathematics

3 4 5

Locating Information

3 4 5

Career Readiness Certificate Levels

Applied Mathematics: Level 4 skills are:

• Perform single-step basic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, using whole numbers

• Change a number from one form to another, using whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages

• Add and subtract negative numbers as well as positive numbers

• Perform one or two mathematical operations, such as addition, subtractions, multiplication or division on several positive or negative numbers

• Add commonly known fractions, decimals or percentages, and three fractions that share a common denominator

• Calculate averages, simple ratios, proportions and rates using whole numbers and decimals

Silver Certificate: What Can A Person Do?

Gold Certificate: What Can A Person Do?Locating Information: Level 5 skills are:

• Summarize and/or compare information and trends in a single graphic

• Summarize and/or compare information and trends among more than one workplace graphic, such as a charge slip and an invoice showing related information; in order to accomplish this, the examinee must determine the relationship among the graphics

• Summarize and/or compare information and trends in a single graphic

• Summarize and/or compare information and trends among more than one workplace graphic, such as a bar chart and a data table showing related information; in order to accomplish this, the examinee must sort through distracting information

CRC deployedKentucky (5795)Indiana (20,452)Virginia (5806)LouisianaMissouriNorth CarolinaOklahomaAlabamaTennessee

9 States

CRC in progressKansasNorth DakotaSouth Carolina (1000)WyomingDistrict of ColumbiaWest VirginiaIowaNew MexicoWashingtonNevadaOhio

11 States

Interested in CRCColoradoMichiganCaliforniaDelawareMarylandRhode IslandIllinoisMontanaMinnesotaOregonIdahoMississippiFloridaNew YorkAlaskaArizonaNebraskaArkansasGeorgia

19 States

CRC Consortium: February 2006