The National Career Readiness Certificate, issued by ACT, is a portable, evidence-based credential that certifies essential skills needed for workplace success. National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

Used to document essential skills linked to workplace success Evidence-based Industry-recognized Portable Contextualized for the workplace Awarded at four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum credential The NCRC ™ is a credential that is: National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

Problem solving Critical thinking Reading and using work-related text Applying information from workplace documents to solve problems Applying mathematical reasoning to work-related problems Setting up and performing work-related mathematical calculations Locating, synthesizing, and applying information that is presented graphically Comparing, summarizing, and analyzing information presented in multiple, related graphics NCRCcredential The NCRC is a credential that is used across all sectors of the economy and certifies the following cognitive skills: National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

77% of profiled jobs utilize all of these skills* *Numbers are based on analysis of 5,618 jobs profiled from 2006 to 2010 in the ACT JobPro database. National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce Individuals can earn the NCRC by taking three WorkKeys ® assessments: Applied Mathematics Locating Information Reading for Information

*Numbers are based on analysis of 5,618 jobs profiled from 2006 to 2010 in the ACT JobPro database. National Career Readiness Certificate WorkKeys Skills for Jobs Profiled National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

KeyTrain ® is an interactive learning tool for developing and improving the applied workplace skills defined by the WorkKeys system. The core curriculum is complemented by reporting capabilities, diagnostic tools, and soft skills curriculum. Training & Curriculum Develop Your Workforce

Career Ready 101 ™ is an integrated approach to exploring careers and their skill requirements, building workplace skills using the KeyTrain skills curriculum, and creating life literacy with such skills as financial awareness and job searching. Career Ready 101 is available in both online and instructor-led formats. Training & Curriculum Develop Your Workforce

1%47%21%18% Source: ACT JobPro Data Percentage of U.S. Examinees Earning The Certificate National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

99%67%16%93% Source: ACT JobPro Data Job Qualification of Certificate Holders (Essential Cognitive Skills) National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

Source: Internet and Paper-and-Pencil based WorkKeys Assessments from Notes: NCRC Qualifiers include examinees that took the RI, AM, and LI WorkKeys assessments and qualified for an NCRC. Total NCRC Qualifiers by Year National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

Source: Internet and Paper-and-Pencil based WorkKeys Assessments from Notes: NCRC Qualifiers include examinees that took the RI, AM, and LI WorkKeys assessments and qualified for an NCRC. Total NCRC Qualifiers by Year and Level National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce

Combining measures of cognitive skills with measures of work-related behaviors—soft skills—brings even greater accuracy to predictions about an individual’s success at work or in training. National Career Readiness Certificate NCRC Plus

In addition to certifying cognitive skills, the NCRC Plus ranks individuals in four soft skills categories. Work Discipline ■ Work Discipline—productivity and dependability Teamwork ■ Teamwork—tolerance, communication, and attitude Customer Service Orientation ■ Customer Service Orientation—interpersonal skills and perseverance Managerial Potential ■ Managerial Potential—persuasion, enthusiasm, and problem solving National Career Readiness Certificate NCRC Plus

Individuals can earn the NCRC Plus by taking the WorkKeys Talent assessment. The Talent assessment is not required to qualify for a National Career Readiness Certificate. National Career Readiness Certificate NCRC Plus

Sample NCRC with the NCRC Plus Rankings. National Career Readiness Certificate NCRC Plus

Talent Assessment WorkKeys Talent is a highly reliable inventory of personality that reports the behaviors an individual is inclined to practice on the job and in life. 165 survey items Delivered on Validus ® platform in computerized format only Agree or disagree statements relating to everyday activities and habits Measures 12 personal characteristics Compound scales summarize four areas common to most work environments - Work Discipline, Teamwork, Customer Service Orientation, and Managerial Potential

NCRC Plus Talent Assessment Outcomes Employers: Make better HR decisions by hiring and developing people with the right set of “soft skills” to be successful Career Seekers: Promote better decision-making about careers, and provide a new means for demonstrating soft skills Economic Developers: Attract investors and companies to states and regions in order to create jobs and improve the local economy

Talent Assessment Personal Characteristics Carefulness Striving Cooperation Sociability Optimism Sociability 12 measures of behavior Combinations of certain attributes form compound scales. Goodwill Stability Order Savvy Influence Discipline

Talent Assessment Score Report Percentile score reported for each characteristic and compound scale

Talent Assessment Work Discipline Work Discipline Demonstrates dependability and maintains a disciplined and positive attitude toward job tasks, rules and regulations, and the work environment. These personal characteristics contribute to the Work Discipline index:Carefulness Thinking and planning carefully before acting or speakingDiscipline Acting in a responsible, dependable manner, and following through with tasks without becoming distracted or bored Order The tendency to be neat and well-organized Stability Maintaining composure and rationality in situations of actual or perceived stress

Talent Assessment Work Discipline Be punctual, set goals, and follow through on tasks Master new skills by investing personal time and effort Adopt systems that help manage time and resources Maintain an organized work environment Search for information in a systematic manner Adjust behavior in different situations and among different people Recognize problems and focus on solutions Reduce stress by balancing work with healthy activities Avoid emotional responses by thinking before speaking and acting Work Discipline Positive Work Discipline behaviors

Talent Assessment Teamwork Teamwork Demonstrating compromise, cooperation, and interpersonal understanding when working with others. These characteristics contribute to the Teamwork index:Carefulness Thinking and planning carefully before acting or speakingCooperation Tendency to be likable and friendly in interpersonal situations Goodwill Tendency to be forgiving and to believe that others are well-intentioned Optimism Maintaining a positive outlook and confidence in successful outcomes Stability Maintaining composure and rationality in situations of actual or perceived stress

Talent Assessment Teamwork Control personal feelings when communicating Maintain composure in stressful situations Complete tasks with confidence and celebrate success Look for positive aspects of seemingly negative events Accept and respond to constructive criticism Take responsibility and use setbacks as opportunities to improve Listen carefully and speak frankly and honestly at the appropriate time Gain coworkers’ support through compromise and negotiated solutions Direct negative comments at tasks and processes, not at people Recognize how actions and words can affect others on multiple levels Teamwork Positive Teamwork behaviors:

Talent Assessment Customer Service Orientation Customer Service Orientation The potential to demonstrate high levels of attentiveness and courtesy and to provide helpful service to customers. These personal characteristics contribute to the Customer Service Orientation index:Cooperation Tendency to be likable and friendly in interpersonal situationsCreativity Tendency to be imaginative and to think “outside the box” Optimism Maintaining a positive outlook and confidence in successful outcomes Stability Maintaining composure and rationality in situations of actual or perceived stress Striving Aspiring to high levels of success and working hard to achieve goals

Talent Assessment Customer Service Orientation Gather information and feedback from diverse sources Understand background information before developing solutions Seek suggestions on improving performance or solving a problem Set realistic personal goals and remain accountable for them Take responsibility for mistakes and respond to criticism Work without direct supervision and adjust pace to workload Rely on systems for managing multiple tasks or assignments Identify and search out resources needed to complete tasks Focus on solving problems and resist complaining about them Respond to stress by communicating clearly and calmly Encourage others to share ideas and engage in solutions Customer Service Orientation Positive Customer Service Orientation behaviors:

Talent Assessment Managerial Potential Managerial Potential The potential to demonstrate a high level of work performance in supervisory and managerial roles. These personal characteristics contribute to the Managerial Potential index:Cooperation Tendency to be likable and friendly in interpersonal situationsDiscipline Acting in a responsible, dependable manner, and following through with tasks without becoming distracted or bored. Influence Tendency to impact and dominate social situations by speaking without hesitation and accepting leadership responsibilities Optimism Maintaining a positive outlook and confidence in successful outcomes Savvy Reading other people’s motives, understanding office politics, and anticipating the needs and intentions of others

Employer Success Osborne Wood Products, Inc., Toccoa, Georgia Flexsteel Industries, Dublin, Georgia Eastman Kodak Company, Columbus, Georgia Solo Cup Company, Conyers and Social Circle, Georgia Energizer, Asheboro, North Carolina Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, Jacksonville, Florida Wolverine Coil Spring, Grand Rapids, Michigan NW Natural, Portland, Oregon Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., Waterbury, Vermont Hoffer Plastics Corporation, South Elgin, Illinois “As a result of worker certification, our community has shown promise for future industry in our area. We have become a community where qualified people can find good jobs using fair and objective hiring practices. As for Osborne Wood Products, we have found an effective tool to locate the best applicants and bring them into full employment seamlessly.” - Leon Osborne, chief executive officer, Osborne Wood Products Learn more at act.org/workforce/case/ National Career Readiness Certificate Benefits

National Career Readiness Certificate Certify Your Workforce 5-year September 2011 marked the 5-year anniversary of the NCRC 1.2 MILLION Over 1.2 MILLION Certificates have been registered states have regional or statewide Certificate programs

National Career Readiness Certificate Benefits Career Seekers Provide employers with verifiable evidence of their job skills Employers Screen applicants and find the right workers for jobs at all levels, as well as make decisions about training and advancement of current employees Educators Ensure that their students are ready for meaningful careers Industry Associations Adopt the NCRC as the foundational credential of their skills certification systems Workforce Developers Help to supply employers with workers possessing the necessary skills to meet demand Economic Developers Inform businesses’ decisions about where to locate or expand by demonstrating the skill level of regional labor sheds

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