Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Career Readiness Certificates for Wyoming

1. Wyoming Department of Workforce ServicesCareer Readiness Certificates for Wyoming Measuring Candidate Potential

2. Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate • Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate is an initiative that provides a standardized demonstration of foundational work-ready skills for job seekers who receive the certificate. • Officially launched statewide on July 9, 2008 by Governor Dave Freudenthal, the initiative began as small pilot program within a few of the state’s Community Colleges. • After seeing success, the Community Colleges worked with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and other partners to create Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate. • Words from Governor Freudenthal…

3. National Career Readiness Certificate • Wyoming joins numerous other states that either currently have or are working toward their own Career Readiness Certificate programs. • In addition to being a statewide initiative, the National Career Readiness Certificate has gained momentum among states with statewide programs. • The National Certificate ensures that a job seeker has certain skills that are important across a range of jobs and that achievement of the National Certificate is accepted in all states that participate. • In addition, the National Certificate offers individuals, employers, and educators an easily understood and universally valued credential.

4. Partners in Wyoming’s Initiative • The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services has joined with the following to bring forward Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate: • The Governor’s Office • Wyoming Department of Education • Wyoming Department of Corrections • Wyoming Community Colleges

5. Why Career Readiness for Wyoming? • Feedback from job seekers and businesses has been positive. • Wyoming Career Readiness Certificate offers benefits to: • Job Seekers • Employers • Economic Developers • Workforce Development • Education

6. Benefits to Job Seekers • The Certificate compares foundational skill levels to the desired occupation creating a better job match. • Provides a portable and easily recognizable credential. • Demonstrates transferable employability skill levels. • Identifies areas where additional training is needed. • Offers confidence to pursue career goals.

7. Benefits to Employers • The Certificate offers a tool for hiring, retention, and promotion. • Offers a vehicle to tap into the most qualified labor pool in their area. • Reduces turn over because candidate skills match closely with the skills the employer desires. • Can provide a way to find the right person with the right skills for the right position at the right time. • Allows for targeted employee training and development. • Provides a sold insight into an individual’s foundational skills.

8. Benefits to Employers • Reduces hidden costs such as: • Lost Production Time • Turnover • Rehiring • Overtime, and • Additional training by identifying workers with documented skills. • Increases: • Productivity • Employee Morale, and • Hiring Efficiency

9. Benefits to Economic Development • Provides the potential for each of Wyoming’s counties to demonstrate the work-ready skill level of its workforce. • Can assist in validating the skill level on an available workforce to fill the needs of existing and new industries. • Demonstrates the work ready skills of available workers. • Provides local businesses with an assurance of a well-trained workforce. • Matches skill level requirements with employers’ needs.

10. Benefits to Workforce Development • Addresses academic and workforce readiness with a coordinated assessment system. • Meets the demands of industry.

11. Benefits to Education • Increases referrals from the workforce development system. • Identifies gaps between students’ skills and employment needs. • Improves students’ successes in entry-level and subsequent jobs.

12. The Assessment: WorkKeys • Three assessments provided by ACT: • Reading for Information • Applied Mathematics • Locating Information • ACT has profiled 12,000+ jobs. • For each position, the profile identifies the foundational skills and WorkKeys skill levels an individual needs to perform a job successfully.

13. Scoring the Assessment • After taking the three assessments, individuals can score at any of the following levels: • Gold – Scoring 5 and above on all three assessments • Silver – Scoring 4 and above on all three assessments • Bronze – Scoring 3 and above on all three assessments

14. The Bronze Level (3) • The following occupations match the skills of individuals receiving a Bronze Level Certificate: • Automotive Body and Related Repairs • Barbers • Butchers and Meat Cutters • Cooks, Institutions and Cafeteria • Dental Laboratory Technicians • Home Health Aides • Housekeeping Supervisors, Janitorial Supervisors, Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners • Locomotive Engineers • Sales and Related Workers

15. The Silver Level (4) • The following occupations match the skills of individuals receiving a Silver Level Certificate: • Administrative Services Managers • Auditors • Automotive Master Mechanics, Automotive Specialty Technicians • Chefs and Head Cooks, Food Service Managers • Construction Carpenters • Dental Assistants, Medical Assistants, Radiologic Technologists • Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses • Municipal Fire Fighters • Secretaries, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

16. The Gold Level (5) • The following occupations match the skills of individuals receiving a Gold Level Certificate: • Computer Programmers • Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School • Electrical Engineers • Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians • Pharmacy Technicians, Respiratory Therapists • Training and Development Specialists • Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School

17. The Process • Job seekers can use our website (www.wyomingworkforce.org/crc) to locate a testing site near them or call the local Workforce Center in their community. Once a site is located, the job seeker should make an appointment to take the assessment. • Testing sites are located in the community colleges throughout the state. • Once the assessment is taken, it will be scored and certificate will be issued to the job seekers. • Job seekers are then able to present the Certificate to employers as they apply for open positions.

18. The Certificate The Color of the Bucking Horse & Rider Designates the Level of Certificate Achieved Name of Recipient Date Assessment was Taken Scores on Each Assessment Expiration Date (Certificates are valid for 5 years) Signatures from Governor & Department Director National & State Logos Serial Number

19. The Pocket Certificate The Color of the Bucking Horse & Rider Designates the Level of Certificate Achieved Name of Recipient Expiration Date

20. Improving Your Score • Job seekers will have the opportunity to enroll in courses through the local community colleges or online to work toward improving their scores.

21. Receiving the National Certificate • Once a job seeker achieves Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate, she may request that her National Career Readiness Certificate be mailed to her from ACT. • With her Wyoming Certificate, she will receive a letter detailing how to request that her National Certificate be issued.

22. Call to Action • One of the key component for success of Wyoming’s Career Readiness Certificate Initiative is educating the business community on the value of hiring an applicant that has achieved the credential. • Once job seekers see that businesses are valuing the assurances that the Certificate provides, more and more will obtain the Certificate.

23. Questions… Contact : <<<INSERT LOCAL WORKFORCE CENTER CONTACT INFO>>> Or visit www.wyomingworkforce.org/crc or calling 877-WORK-WYO To learn more about the WorkKeys Assessment and the National Career Readiness Certificate, visit www.workkeys.com