This morning on Workers Wanted, Wallace Vaughn talked about the Kansas WorkReady! credential.
According to Vaughn, a Kansas Department of Commerce employee, a credential is awarded by the State of Kansas that certifies a worker is ready to enter the workforce. It is based on an exam called WorkKeys, which was developed by ACT (the company that does the college entrance exam). Individuals take the exam at Workforce Partnership and several other locations throughout the state. The credential is actually based on three separate exams: Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Mathematics. Individuals can earn three levels of credential, called Gold, Silver and Bronze, depending on how high they score on these exams.
The credential demonstrates that the individual has the academic skills necessary to be employable and matches certain scores on the exams to particular positions, based on profiles that have been developed at employers across the country. In addition, ACT’s research shows that higher scores on these exams are positively correlated with soft skills, so that people who score higher on WorkKeys are more likely to have the soft skills that employers seek. Together, the tests measure “General Mental Ability,” which some studies have shown is the best predictor of job performance.
For individuals who do not score high enough to earn a credential, Workforce Partnership offers a remediation program called WIN that helps people improve their scores. We also use WIN as a quick assessment that predicts how well one is likely to score on the longer WorkKeys exams.
Missouri also issues its own credential, using the same standards. They call theirs the Missouri Career Readiness Certificate. The Full Employment Council of Kansas Cityi can conduct WorkKeys exams if you are interested. In all, 42 states have developed or are developing similar credentials. Employers in all of those states recognize the credential, so it is truly portable.
Workers, here's how you can use the Work Readiness Credential:
--Prove your skills to employers
--Meet requirements for jobs
--Distinguish yourself from other candidates
--Build confidence
--Determine if you need more education or training
Employers, you can benefits as well. Workforce Partnership is inviting employers to attend an information session in their Johnson County Workforce Center at 9221 Quivira, Overland Park, Kansas to learn how using WorkKeys can improve their employee selection process and enhance their bottom line.
Interested businesses should contact Wallace Vaughn at 913.577.5929 or wvaughn@kansascommerce.com.
