The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven by Business and Industry

The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven by Business and Industry Presenter: Patricia Bates WAGE Coordinator at South Arkansas Community College Adult Education Section & Chair of State WAGE Advisory

History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program Formation of a Certificate Program Certificate Types and Requirements Forming a Community Alliance Standard Competencies, Customized Instruction Return on Investment Marketing the Program Question & Answer Period PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS

History of the Arkansas WAGE Certificate Program

# WAGE stands for Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy TM # WAGE is a work-based certificate program in Arkansas # WAGE was not always WAGE, it evolved # Not surprisingly, WAGE grew out of the SCANS era in the late 1980’s when industry strongly noticed the skills shortage for competing in the new technological, global economy History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program

WAGE’s Logo Employers who value and reward competent employees Educators who respond to employers’ needs Employees who understand the connection between employment and education Employers who value and reward competent employees Educators who respond to employers’ needs Employees who understand the connection between employment and education History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program

WAGE’s Motto History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program “Linking today’s workforce with tomorrow’s jobs.”

Formation of a Certificate Program

$ WAGE in Arkansas has formalized start-up manual for adult education programs $ Adult education programs in Arkansas voluntarily choose to become a certified WAGE program $ WAGE is supported out of a program’s regular budget Formation of a Certificate Program

To become a WAGE Certified Center, a program must: 4 Form an alliance that includes no less than six (6) businesses from their community 4 Visit other WAGE centers 4 Take Literacy Task Analysis (LTA) / functional hooks training 4 Perform six (6) LTAs on local businesses 4 Acquire signed agreements from alliance members 4 Present start-up documentation for approval before the state committee The Start-up Steps Formation of a Certificate Program

Local employers agree to:  Give added consideration to job and promotion candidates with WAGE certificates  Allow adult educators to perform literacy task analyses on critical entry level jobs within their company  Assist with providing classroom space and materials when needed Employers’ Roles Formation of a Certificate Program

AR State WAGE Advisory Committee Formation of a Certificate Program Once certified, the center holds a voting position on the state WAGE advisory committee

KEY PLAYERS Business & Community Support Institutional Support Client/Employee Participation

What Will it Take To Start -Necessary Components-  Collaboration  Spirit of Volunteerism  Resourcefulness  Fearless Innovation  Local Customization  Cheerleading

Certificate Types and Requirements

Competencies WAGE students complete standard competencies determined by businesses statewide, but taught locally within the context of local businesses

Certificate Types and Requirements Certificates There are three certificates: Industrial, Clerical, and Employability The Industrial and Clerical require all of the WAGE Competencies, along with some additional requirements The Employability allows for flexibility in competency selection and additional requirements

Certificate Types and Requirements Industrial Certificate

Clerical Certificate Certificate Types and Requirements

Employability Certificate

Certificate Types and Requirements Employability Certificate A la carte Competencies

Who are the students? WAGE serves those students whose reading, language, and mathematics skill levels measure less than 12.9 by the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Certificate Types and Requirements

The WAGE Test  Educators have devised an Arkansas- specific WAGE test that tests all competencies using work-related scenarios and documents that came out of Arkansas businesses  Most questions on the WAGE test require an observable, constructive answer  This test ensures consistency in competency achievement since competency lessons are customized to local businesses but must be verified for a state certificate.

Forming a Community Alliance

é Starting from scratch can take months é Use connections already in place é Ensure each stakeholder has a interest that relates to the intended outcomes of the program; choose a focused chairperson é Meeting times should be most conducive to the consensus of the group, centering it around a normal meal time (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) tends to free up most people and has an added lure of food to ensure attendance Forming a Community Alliance

WHO MAKES UP THE ALLIANCE? WAGE works with all community agencies:  service providers (family, human, and employment services)  local and state government (Workforce Investment Boards, mayors, city councils)  economic development (Chambers of Commerce, development boards)  job training programs and job placement agencies  other educational entities Forming a Community Alliance

“No Wrong-Door Policy” Industrial Coordinator W.A.G.E.Student PT & FT Employment Agencies PT & FT Employment Agencies Civic Clubs Chamber of Commerce Business & Industry ? ? City, City, County County and andStateGovernment GreenThumb DHS JTPA ESD Adult Education Education

Business & Industry Support  Advisory Board - 51%  Business Chair from Business/Industry  Business Must Identify Needs  Business Must Communicate

Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction

Standard Competencies (handout)  Customized, prioritized, and proportionately emphasized based on business and industry findings from the Literacy Task Analysis  Taught within an actual workplace context, using “functional hooks” to help students “learn to learn” Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction

The Literacy Task Analysis * Educators work with the participating employers to determine the community’s workforce educational needs * Educators go to the workplace and analyze the basic skills needed to perform the job * Educators keep frequency charts for each competency * Educators make note of which skills impact production, profit, and safety the most Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction

Contextual Lessons and Functional Hooks * Educators build contextual, customized lessons for skills considered most important and occurring most frequently * Educators develop “Functional Hooks” within the lessons to help students see the basic skills application with a real work scenario * Educators have correlated appropriate supplemental materials to the competencies Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction

 Assessment  Intervention/Education  Post Assessment  Referral for Job Placement What does WAGE Training look like?

ASSESSMENT  TABE - 7A or 8A, full battery or Survey  Careerscope Assessment - interest and aptitude  WAGE Post Test - test of 112 WAGE Competencies  Spatial Relations Test  Dexterity Test  Computer Literacy Test

EDUCATION  GED Instruction &/or Basic Skills  Certified Adult Ed. Instructors  Quality Textbooks  Computer Tutorial Programs- PLATO, Passkey, SkillsBank  Computer Literacy Software  Employability Training

Return on Investment

THE BUSINESS TAKE ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT $ Production improves. $ Quality goes up. $ Waste is reduced. $ Profits increase. $ Safety incidents are reduced. $ Customer satisfaction improves. $ Employee retention improves. $ Recruitment costs are reduced. $ Employee attitudes improves. $ Employees show more interest and success at next level of technical training. $ Employer competes better in a global economy; likelihood of longevity improves. Return on Investment

COMMUNITY RETURN ON INVESTMENT $ Companies increase profits. $ Increase profits improve wages. $ Better wages retain better employees. $ Better wages increases an individual’s spending power. $ Better employees provides increased likelihood employer will stay in the area. $ Increased spending power comes back to improve the community through improved tax base, tourism, economic growth. $ Improved communities attract good business and good employees.

Marketing the Program

Marketing the Program On a shoestring with no assigned marketing dollars: Using available web site Using PowerPoint and speaking to groups Making local Workforce Investment Boards aware that we already exist and invented the cooperative, collaborative approach Do-it-yourself brochures (handout) Newspaper articles on successful completers Special project newspaper advertisement Volunteer multimedia project

Marketing the Program Best Cheerleader: Business and industry themselves

Questions and Answers

Questions Suggestions Answers

Contact Information

Patricia Bates ext.182