The Power and Effectiveness of the Career Readiness Certificate

Dr. Barbara Bolin Mitch Rosin PresidentEditorial Director

McGraw-Hill/Contemporary

www.nationalOCC.org

www.crcconsortium.org

804-310-2552

www.mheonline com

312-233-6727

TM

Workforce Needs vs. Realities• Workforce needs have changed and will continue to

change on a global basis• There are both worker shortages as well as skills gaps

that must be addressed in the U.S. and internationally• Over 61% of U.S. employers say it is difficult to find

qualified workers to fill their vacancies• The economic impacts are severe and a fundamental

issue that must be addressed at several levels

Current and Future Realities

•Credentials are the new currency of employment

•Traditional approaches to education are fading(e.g. on-line universities)

•Business processes are transportable and will follow skill sets and trainability

Current and Future Realities

85%

80%

Job Demands Are Shifting

Skilled Jobs

Unskilled Jobs

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Current and Future Realities

Trends in U.S. Job Task Content

Key Shifts Underway

• Boomers are retiring, leaving manager gaps

• Service jobs now dominate (60% today up from 36% in 1960) and make up 85% of income

Source: The Conference Board: The Ill Prepared U.S. Workforce (2009)

More than 18 million adults without a high school credential are in the labor force today.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007

WORKER SUPPLY

WORKER SUPPLY == EMPLOYER

DEMANDEMPLOYER

DEMAND

What does all this mean?

Jobs of the FutureOf the 30,000,000 new and replacement jobs between now and 2018…

63%

63% will require some college

45% will require a Bachelor’s Degree or higher

45%

Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009

88 Million of 150 Million Adults in Labor Force with at Least One Educational Barrier

88 Million of 150 Million Adults in Labor Force with at Least One Educational Barrier

18,229,34018,229,340 51,365,34051,365,340

5,177,1275,177,127

8,226,2148,226,2145,005,9435,005,943

No High SchoolDiplomaNo High SchoolDiploma

High School DiplomaNo CollegeHigh School DiplomaNo College

Speak English“Less Than Very Well”Speak English“Less Than Very Well” Source: U.S. Census Bureau

The 2010 Need• More than 93 million adults score at the lower

levels of national assessments of functional literacy skills and are unprepared to enroll in postsecondary education or job training.

• While school reform hopes to curb our nation’s workforce problem, an estimated 65% of our nation’s 2020 workforce is already beyond the reach of our educational system.

Jobs Come, Jobs Go

• 700,000 different certificates are awarded each year, but many are not transportable, transferrable, and stackable—that is, able to be combined with others.

• Between the ages of 18 and 42, today’s worker can expect to hold an average of 11 different jobs.

Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006. Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2009Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2009

Employers have

TWO major concerns with potential and incumbent employees:

1. Poor work ethic & soft skills But how do you legally assess and train to overcome these deficiencies?

2. Lack of basic learning skills, i.e. TRAINABILITY for rapidly changing technologies and careers

The CRC was created to address the trainability issue

The Career Readiness Certificate

--A Model Framework for Guaranteeing Trainability

In 2004, employers, workforce development professionals and governments in 7 states agreed that:

National Consensus

1) There is a need for a portable skills credential based on a common language, easily understood by employers, educators, and residents, and that certifies trainability;

2) The common language should be WorkKeys®;

3) The three WorkKeys® assessments that should form the basis of the credential: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information,

and Reading For Information;

4) The credential should be multi-level;

5) The scores for each level should be 3's for Bronze, 4's for Silver, and 5's for Gold.

In 2010, more than 45 states are active in the CRC Consortium

Career Readiness Certificate Consortium

CRCs deployed statewide

CRC deployment in progress

Interested in deploying CRC

Source: Career Readiness Certificate Consortiumwww.crcconsortium.orgSource: Career Readiness Certificate Consortiumwww.crcconsortium.org

Score at least Level 6 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 99% of jobs in the ACT database

Score at least Level 5 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 90% of jobs in the ACT database

Score at least Level 4 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 65% of jobs in the ACT database

CRC Levels• Used by employers for skills

screening, hiring and promotion, and targeting employee training and development

• Credential levels indicate percent of jobs qualified for in the ACT occupational database

• Provides a common measure for employers to determine workers’ skill levels based on standardized assessments

• Skills outlined on back of CRC

Score at least Level 3 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 35% of jobs in the ACT database

Bronze

Gold

Silver

Platinum

Source: ACTSource: ACT

Linking Skills to Occupations

Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC

Source: ACTSource: ACT

Applied Mathematics

Locating Information

Reading forInformation

Skill Profile: Nursing Aides

Skill Profiles/Gap Analysis

• Pre-assessment identifies learner skill levels.

• Career interest profile assessment identifies potential careers. Competency levels for each occupation help identify target skill attainment levels.

• Skill gaps help identifywhere instructionshould begin.

3

2

4

3 3

23

43

Skill Gaps

Learner Skill Levels

OccupationalSkill Levels

The Power of the Career Readiness Certificate

Key difference in training and assessment is applying the skills to workplace situations—

so in training you

TEACH TO THE TASK!

Students demonstrate what they can DO, not only what they KNOW

Reading for Information—Goals

• To measure the skills people use when they read and use written text in order to do a job.

• Written texts include memos, direction, signs, notices, bulletins, policies, and regulations.

• Sometimes these written communications are not necessarily well-written or targeted to the appropriate audience.

Locating Information—Goals

• To measure the skills people use when they work with workplace graphics.

• Workers must find information and insert information into graphics, as well as compare, analyze, and summarize information found in related graphics.

• Workplace graphics include charts, graphs, tables, forms, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, maps, and instrument gauges.

Applied Mathematics—Goals

• Measure the skills people use when they apply mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving techniques to work-related problems.

• Applied mathematics skills needed include basic and advanced computation, using percentages, converting and calculating measurements, and finding the best deal.

Group Participation . . .

• You will be given several minutes to complete sample questions from ONEof the WorkKeys assessments

• You will grade your own work!(No one will know how well you did unless you tell them)

Is training available to close the skills gap?Yes.

On-line training is available from several reputable companies.

Are there hard-copy training materials for use in the classroom?

Yes. The Workplace Skills Series is now available from

Contemporary/McGraw-Hill.You will be given a FREE sample of one of the books

Workplace Skills Series

Workplace Skills Series• Develops core contextualized skills for:

– Applied Mathematics: Mathematical reasoning and critical thinking skills through realistic workplace scenarios

– Reading for Information: Effective reading comprehension and synthesis skills through documents such as letters, e-mails, directions, regulations, and policies

– Locating Information: Retrieve and use information communicated through graphic sources (flow charts, diagrams, forms, and tables)

• Provides consistent problem-solving approach in testing and workplace scenarios

• Instruction and skill practice covering CRC Levels 37 in each book

• Builds core CRC competencies from lowest to highest level

• Practice and assessment of all skills learners encounter on CRC tests

Contextualized Practice

• Instruction in TABE aligned basic skills

• Builds core competencies from lowest to highest level

Basic Skills Instruction

• Model skill application and test-taking strategies through the Plan for Successful Solving

• Learners are better prepared for test-taking situations

• Consistent modeling builds learner confidence for problem solving in workplace and test-taking situations

Models Skill Application

Model Skill Application

Consistent problem-solving approach modeled for every skill in all three titles.

• Provide practice applying skill in realistic workplace scenarios

• Robust content and problem-solving skill development

• Real-world scenarios link skills with actual jobs

• Applied scenarios increase learner motivation

Contextualized Practice

Comprehensive Career & Industry Coverage

• Contextualized problems for over 800 careers across the16 DOL Career Clusters

• Provides real-world problem-solving practice across a variety of careers, including green sectors

• Relevant problem-solving practice establishes a purpose for learning, regardless of career goals

CRC BenefitsEducators/trainers• Identify gaps between current student skills and employment needs • Align curricula to meet the job skills, develop transitional skills• Develop relevant lessons connected to employment opportunitiesStudents/Job-Seekers/Training Program Participants• Document their readiness for work• See the connection between school or training program and work• Access to instructional component to fill gapsBusinesses• Decrease hiring costs• Make better hiring decisions• Reduce turnover• Decrease overtime hours• Decrease training time and costs

CRC: Learning = Earnings

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

CRC: Employer ROI

• Northrop Grumman reduced turnover by 20%

• Owensboro Medical Health System reduced turnover by 32%

• MidAmerican Energy Company reduced turnover by 50%

• UPS Special Delivery reduced turnover by 85%

What the CRC brought to Morningstar FoodsWhat the CRC brought to Morningstar Foods• In the hiring process, a candidate who brings a CRC to the table reduces testing costs by 64%.

In 2005--total savings of $10,860.00.

• When an individual has obtained the CRC he/she has the requisite aptitudes for advertised positions.

On-the-job training costs for these new hires reduced by 50% or better, depending on position.

OJT cost was reduced to between $1,280.00 - $2,560.00 per employee.

In one year, savings equated to between $128,000.00 to $256,000.00 in strictly regular, hourly wages required to pay another employee to handle the OJT for our new hire.

Results & Outcomes . . .

• More than 1 million CRCs issued to date

• CRC is being extended (CRC+) to create industry-specific credentials

• CRC now being used as the basis for governors to certify Work-Ready Communities

The CRC is QUEEN!• Quick Assessments are 45 minutes long; Few hours of training per WK level to raise skills• UniformEvery CRC is based on the same 3 assessments and levels• EffectiveEmployers/employees/educators tout effectiveness of both training and results; Boosts self-esteem of unemployed; improves chance of employment• EconomicalAssessments inexpensive to buy and give; CRC average cost is $45, good for 5 years• Nationally recognizedTransportable anywhere; Employers value skills definition on back

The Power and Effectiveness of the Career Readiness Certificate

Dr. Barbara Bolin Mitch Rosin PresidentEditorial Director

McGraw-Hill/Contemporary

www.nationalOCC.org

www.crcconsortium.org

804-310-2552

www.mheonline.com

312-233-6727