Employer Toolkit

Job Profiling: Matching Skills to Jobs

Just ask any business leader: skill shortages are an expensive, time-wasting barrier to effective hiring and training. How can employers determine which individuals are the best fit for highly skilled positions, or which workers are the top candidates to receive job-specific training?

This is why nearly 75 percent of businesses use job profiling—the process of analyzing the skills needed for job tasks—in their recruiting and hiring practices, according to a recent study by Society for Human Resource Management and ACT. With job profiling:

  • Employers can identify skills and skill levels current and prospective employees need in order to be successful on the job.
  • Individuals can compare their skill levels to those needed for jobs.
  • Trainers and trainees can make appropriate decisions about jobs, identify strengths, and set training goals.

Learn more about Job Profiling

Become an ACT WorkKeys Profiler

Key to building a stronger workforce is assessing capabilities of workers and potential workers, and if workforce skills are found to be lacking, to provide opportunities for growth. As a WorkKeys Profiler you will help employers identify the skills needed for their jobs and create an additional revenue stream for your organization. Depending upon the local market, profilers can usually cover the one-time training fee ($2100) and the annual software license fee ($1600) by conducting one to two profiles annually.

For a limited time, the training fee for the WorkKeys Profiling training program is discounted if there are no/few currently authorized Profilers in your area – at 50% off the regular price. WorkKeys Profiling training is a combination of distance learning activities and webcasts, and culminates with an onsite workshop – typically held at ACT’s corporate headquarters in Iowa City, Iowa. Contact ACT to determine if you are eligible for the discounted fee.

We will also come to YOU when pandemic conditions allow!

Did you know that you can save money on travel expenses by having the in-person workshop in your area? If at least 8 people in an area want to be trained as WorkKeys Profilers, ACT trainers will come to you, at no additional cost, for the in-person component of the Profile Training. Email jpanswers@act.org or call us at 319-337-1724.

Available Workshops

Virtual Session i The Virtual Simulation Workshop consists of a series of 2-hour webcasts scheduled over a 2-week period.
March 1-12, 2021
Registration Deadline
(Agreement and Payment Due Date) 		January 8, 2021
5 Weeks of Scheduled Online Learning Begins i One can begin the online learning portion of of the training earlier if agreements and payments are received and processed. January 25, 2021
Live Webcast Schedule (normally 1:00-3:00pm CT) Webcast 1: February 4, 2021
Webcast 2: February 11, 2021
Webcast 3: February 25, 2021
Attend Simulation Workshop March 1-12, 2021

Occupational Profiles By Industry Sector

ACT has aggregated national job profile Work Keys data by common occupations in high demand industry clusters.
This information should be used only as a guide.

small clipart image of a grey building

Verify A Certificate

If the individual has made their ACT WorkKeys NCRC information searchable for an employer, you may verify the level with ACT. To verify the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT WorkKeys NCRC) level of potential or current employees, enter the registration number here. The ACT WorkKeys NCRC registration number may be found on the front of the certificate as shown:

a mock example of an ACT WorkKeys NCRC Certificate. It contains the ACT logo along with a silver badge, recipients name, and a short description

Enter Certificate ID

Learn More About Workkeys

Browse the WorkKeys Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents required for more than 400 different jobs.

Occupational Skill Level Info

Browse the Occupational profiles to better understand the alignment between WorkKeys scores and occupational profiles.