Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Slide 1 West Michigan Strategic Alliance Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development

Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED)Slide 1

West Michigan Strategic Alliance

Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) InitiativeFunded by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor

Greg Northrup, President, West Michigan Strategic Alliance www.wm-alliance.org, 616.356.6060

Phil Rios, Project Manager, WIRED West Michigan, www.wiredwestmi.org, 616.331.6968

The ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Presentation, Revised: January 15, 2008

Bill Guest, WorkKeys Innovation Champion, 616.430.0828, [email protected]

Rachael Jungblut, WorkKeys Program Manager, GRCC, 616.234.3623, [email protected]

Liz Stegman, Program Administrator, 616.234.3471, [email protected]

The National Career Readiness Certificate(Powered by WorkKeys®)


The NCRC Value Equation

Need – Definition of “qualified candidate” for 21st Century work.

Approach – Use the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate.

Benefits - The NCRC is proven to be aligned to employer needs and proven to be valid, reliable, and cost effective.

Competitive position – Job alignment tools & DOL ETA approved tests.


West Michigan


WMSA Region

• Allegan

• Barry

• Ionia

• Kent

• Muskegon

• Newaygo

• Ottawa


M-MIT Region

• Bay• Clinton• Eaton• Genesee• Huron• Ingham

• Lapeer• Livingston• Midland• Saginaw• Sanilac• Shiawasee• Tuscola


What is our common language?

Employers say “New hires need more math.”

Educators ask “How much more?”

Employers say “We need better reading skills.”

Educators ask “How much better?”

We all know these can be endless discussions.

This communication problem extends throughout the entire Workforce Development System.


Why a Career Readiness Certificate?We need a trusted common language.

What do we mean by Qualified Candidates?• New hires

• Promotions and internal moves

• Career development programs

• Occupational training

• Job specific training

How do we measure qualifications?


WorkKeys is a measurement tool.

WorkKeys quantifies skills in the following categories:

• Applied Mathematics

• Applied Technology

• Business Writing

• Listening

• Locating Information

• Observation

• Reading for Information

• Teamwork

• Writing


The WorkKeys Measurement SystemThe WorkKeys Measurement System

Assess job requirements - Assess individual skill levels - Train to eliminate gaps


Career Readiness Certificate in ContextCareer Readiness Certificate in Context

Reading forInformation

Job Specific Training

Occupational Training

AppliedMathematics

LocatingInformation

WorkKeys Measures Foundational Skills


The Career Readiness Certificate and Jobs

WorkKeys Skill Levels: Bronze Silver Gold

Reading for Information 3 4 5

Applied Mathematics 3 4 5

Locating Information 3 4 5

Job Readiness* 30% 65% 90%

* Job Readiness indicates the % of jobs in the occupational

database that holders of these certificates are qualified to apply for.

The CRC isa credential.


What Every WorkerWhat Every WorkerMust KnowMust Know

Reading for Information

Applied Mathematics

Locating Information

MVC


RI 3 Simple clear text


RI 4 Policies & procedures


RI 5 Details & jargon


AM 3 Cash register math


AM 4 Calculate an average


AM 5 Lowest phone bill


LI 3 Read a gauge


LI 4 Read a laundry slip


LI 5 Read bar graph


The NCRC WorkKeys Core Assessments

Harder than it looks:

• Timed

• Proctored

• Many experience test anxiety


A Common Skills Currency


How do we get every employer to use the

same target?


“Employers work to make things: predictable, uniform, and certain.

Predictability, uniformity, and certainty are universal goals of executives. The

NCRC does this for the hiring process.”

Mac MacIlroy, President MMA


West Michigan


How do we improve our workforce?

• Assess foundational skills

• Use KeyTrain software

• Provide learning coaches for support

• Use practice tests in KeyTrain

• Issue Career Readiness Certificates


Career Readiness Certificate StepsCareer Readiness Certificate Steps

Reading for Information

Job Specific Training

Occupational Training

Applied Mathematics

Locating Information

The Learner’sPerspectiveSteps toSuccess

Goals


Michigan Merit Examination (MME) Summary Table

* The new Michigan Merit Examination will be utilized in all Michigan Schools beginning the Spring of 2007


Master Degree

Bachelor Degree

Associate Degree

Some College

High School Diploma

Some High School

NOTES: Unemployment and earnings for workers 25 and older, by educational attainment; earnings for full-time wage and salary workers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Education and Training PayEducation and Training Pay

$1,064

$396

$900

$554

$622

$672

2.9%

3.3%

4.0%

5.2%

5.5%

8.8%

Unemployment Rate in 2003 Median Weekly Earnings in 2003Unemployment Rate in 2003 Median Weekly Earnings in 2003


Pay by Combined CRC Score

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Combined CRC Score with Profile Count

Pay

$ 26,689 24,160 29,576 34,973 43,394 49,691 49,082 52,461

9336

101009

11959

121751

13452

14329

15347

1670

Notes: $23,000 at “9” and $50,000 at “15” results in a gain of $4500 per point. Data is based on RI, AM, and LI scores from the ACT Occupational Database (with 5 or more Profiles) and Median income data from the O*NET. Example: 3, 3, 3 = 9; 5, 5, 5 = 15; etc.

DRAFT

Combined ScoreQty. of Profiles


Example Occupations for CRC HoldersExample Occupations for CRC Holders

BRONZE

SILVER

GOLD

ONET Code ONET Title AM LI RI Total Annual

37-2012.00 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3 3 3 9 $17,000

53-7051.00 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 3 3 3 9 $26,750

51-9121.01 Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters 3 4 3 10 $26,510

43-5041.00 Meter Readers, Utilities 3 4 3 10 $29,720

51-5023.09 Printing Press Machine Operators and Tenders 3 4 4 11 $30,430

33-3012.00 Correctional Officers and Jailers 3 4 4 11 $33,680

49-9021.02 Refrigeration Mechanics 4 4 4 12 $36,670

33-2011.01 Municipal Fire Fighters 4 4 4 12 $38,690

23-2011.00 Paralegals and Legal Assistants 4 4 5 13 $40,450

33-3051.01 Police Patrol Officers 4 4 5 13 $45,600

25-4021.00 Librarians 5 4 5 14 $46,940

11-9151.00 Social and Community Service Managers 5 4 5 14 $48,330

17-3023.01 Electronics Engineering Technicians 5 5 5 15 $47,140

17-3023.02 Calibration and Instrumentation Technicians 5 5 5 15 $47,140

47-1011.01 First-Line Supervisors - Construction Trades 5 5 5 15 $50,980

13-2011.01 Accountants 6 5 5 16 $51,310

11-9033.00 Education Administrators, Postsecondary 5 5 6 16 $69,400

11-9021.00 Construction Managers 6 5 5 16 $70,770


16% None, 17% Bronze, 43% Silver, 24% Gold

Unskilledwork with

hands

Skilledwork with

head & hands“technicians”

Professionalswork with

head

Today we live in a world of networked automation. We need technicians capable of running it.


Emerging Workforce(K-12 and Colleges)

Transitional Workforce(MWAs and Agencies)

Incumbent Workforce(Employers)

Employers(Chambers & EAs)

DemandSupply


Employer Demand – Market Channel Partners

1. High Schools (K-12 System)

2. Colleges and Universities

3. Michigan Works Agencies (MWAs)

4. Private Employment Agencies

5. Chambers of Commerce

6. Economic Development Agencies

7. Employers Associations

8. Literacy and Adult Education Organizations

9. State Agencies and Partners

10. National Agencies and Partners


Employer Letter of CommitmentBasic Commitments:□ We will ask job applicants “Do you have a Career Readiness Certificate?”□ We will recognize the Career Readiness Certificate in hiring, promotion, and

employee development practices for selected positions.□ We give WIRED West Michigan permission to use our name in public awareness

efforts to promote the Career Readiness Certificate.

Extraordinary commitments:□ We will include Career Readiness Certificate preparation programs in our tuition

refund plan and/or provide assistance and an incentive for our employees.□ We will provide special treatment for individuals with Career Readiness

Certificates, such as, taking five minutes to warmly greet them when they fill out an application.

□ We will provide financial support for a promotion campaign, such as, a billboard or advertisement.

□ We will promote this program with our supply chain and recognize those suppliers that make this commitment to employee development.

□ We will test and certify ______ % employees. We employ _______ employees. □ We will track and report data for purposes of statistical summaries for our region.□ We will join and utilize the ACT Job and Talent Bank.


West Michigan Long-term Goals (2007-2012)

1. Gain and document 500 employer commitments with a signed Letter of Commitment (LOC) by December 2008.

2. Gain commitment of all high schools in West Michigan to add Locating Information to the MME and offer ACT National Career Readiness Certificates to all students. This is 10,000 to 15,000 certificates per year.

3. Gain commitment of our six regional Michigan Works! agencies to utilize WorkKeys and the Career Readiness Certificate as a means of defining “qualified applicants” for all job placements in West Michigan.

4. Issue 50,000 Career Readiness Certificates to incumbent and displaced workers by 2012.

5. Participate in and support the state-wide movement led by the Michigan Career Readiness Certificate Advocates (MiCRCA).


The NCRC Value EquationWe need a common definition for “qualified candidate,” someone ready for work in the 21st Century (brains vs. brawn). We have a shortage of skilled workers and a surplus of unskilled workers. We need to “skill up” our workforce to provide the quality of workers employers need.

Our approach is to use the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate as the cornerstone of our regional definition of a qualified candidate. Employers drive demand, schools & workforce agencies train workers.

The benefits to this approach are that the NCRC is a based on WorkKeys a product of ACT proven to be aligned to employer needs and proven to be valid, reliable, and cost effective. Reading, math, and locating information are the top skills needed in 85% of jobs.

The ACT NCRC is superior to competitive approaches and alternatives because it is the only solution that: 1) provides tools to measure the needs of specific jobs, AND, 2) is approved for government agencies as a valid and reliable skills assessment (employer-gov. intersection).


Questions&

Discussion

www.michigancrc.org

“We” vs. “They”


Career Readiness Certificate & WorkKeys Partners

• Career Readiness Certificate• Michigan: www.michigancrc.org• ACT National: www.careerreadinesscertificate.org• CRC Consortium: www.crcconsortium.org

• ACT WorkKeys, www.act.org/workkeys• Steve Anderson, 563.391.3742, [email protected]• John Nelson, 319.321.9705, [email protected]

• KeyTrain, www.keytrain.com• Rick Harris, 888.480.4883, [email protected]• Justin Saylor, 877.842.6205, [email protected]

• The Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL), www.cael.org• Pam Tate, President, 312.499.2680, [email protected]• Joel Simon, Consultant, 312.499.2678, [email protected]

Documents

Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Slide 1 West Michigan Strategic Alliance Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development