(Back to the
index)
(Back to the beginning of this issue)
© 2009 CORD
Are your graduates Work Ready? Do they have the skills to meet the needs of business and industry today?
Our community created a team of economic development, government, and education partners to meet the specific criteria necessary to be officially named a Certified Work Ready Community. As educational leaders, we understand and embrace our role in the economic development of our communities. If our educational institutions cannot produce students who are ready to enter today's highly technical job market, how can new business and industry be drawn to our community? To become a Certified Work Ready Community in Georgia, counties must demonstrate commitment to improving the high school graduation rate and produce a specified number of Work Ready certificates from the available workforce pool. Georgia's workforce development initiative measures the "real world" skills of individuals, provides valuable job training, and assists employers in matching the right people to the right positions.
The Georgia Work Ready initiative began in 2006 as an effort by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to improve the occupational training and marketability of the state's workforce and advance the state's economic growth. Georgia’s Work Ready model is the only existing partnership between a state government and a state chamber of commerce. Georgia's initiative focuses on three components: job profiling, skills assessment, and education and training. Job profiling determines the level of skill necessary to learn required job tasks. The purpose of this component is to help employers build the workforce they need. Developed by ACT, the nationally accredited WorkKeys assessment measures core skills and work habits. Core skills that are highly important to most jobs in the workplace include applications in mathematics, reading for information, and locating information. These skills are critical for job success in the current market and for mastering the innovative technologies of future workplaces. Work-related attitudes and behaviors such as cooperation, discipline, and ambition are measured by the work habits assessment. The training component efficiently closes any identified skills gaps.
Work Ready certificates are awarded based on the lowest level earned in any of the three core assessment areas. For example, if an individual’s scores on the three tests are 4, 4, and 5, he will earn a silver certificate. Georgia certificates are based on four categories. A platinum certificate signifies that an individual scored at least a level 6 on each core assessment and has the skills necessary for 99 percent of jobs in the WorkKeys database. Gold level means a score of at least 5 on core assessments with the skills necessary for 90 percent of jobs. Individuals who earn silver certificates possess skills required for approximately 65 percent of jobs and scored at least a 4 on core tests. The bronze level indicates a test score of 3 and qualification for 35 percent of jobs.
Our community participated in the accelerated grant program, which means goals were to be achieved within 18 months. The players of the Work Ready team included the Bartow County School System, Cartersville City Schools, Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce, Bartow County Economic Development Department, Cartersville Career Center (Department of Labor), Bartow County Government, City of Cartersville, and North Metro Technical College. Our goals were to improve the high school graduation rate and to encourage the current and available workforce to earn Work Ready certificates. Our targeted labor market groups consisted of the private sector and public entities, unemployed persons, current high school seniors and recent graduates, GED completers, and college graduates. The goal was for 871 community members to earn Work Ready certificates. Final results produced 1713 certificates for Bartow citizens—97 percent above the initial goal. High school seniors represented 1072 certificates.
The Bartow County School System has worked to ensure that its graduates are prepared to meet the workforce demands of the community. For two years the WorkKeys assessment has been administered to all seniors in our three high schools. Results indicate that over 90 percent of our graduates are Work Ready, a distinction that is noted in graduation programs for seniors who earn Work Ready certificates. Students' certificates are awarded along with their high school diplomas. Through these endeavors, we strive to add value to the certificate and show students that they possess marketable skills.
During the Bartow County Work Ready process, the combined high school completion rates for Bartow County and Cartersville City increased from 64.5 percent to 72.4 percent. In Bartow County Schools, the graduation coaches, work-based learning coordinators, and career-technical instructors have participated in the Work Ready assessment and earned certificates themselves. If school personnel perceive the value of the Work Ready certificate, they can assist in the efforts with students and continue to help ensure a focus on learning and readiness beyond graduation … creating lifelong learners.
Back to the index
© 2009 CORD
k12.ga.us or Tammy at thufstetler@northmetrotech.edu.
