News

Teachers and administrators in the Columbus, Lowndes County, and the Starkville-Oktibbeha school districts shared their passion for student success through WorkKeys with The Dispatch newspaper.

Last Friday, Governor Mike Parson, AIM President and CEO Ray McCarty, joined several other state and local officials in Lebanon, Missouri, to celebrate Laclede County becoming a Certified Work Ready Community.  This designation means Laclede County joins other Work Ready Communities in being able to advertise they have a workforce ready to be employed by existing or new employers in the County. The designation is available when a certain number of potential employees have taken a test and earned a National Career Readiness Certificate and a certain number of employers have agreed to participate in the program. The number required depends on the population of the county.

Site Selection magazine recently profiled Work Ready initiatives in South Carolina.All 46 counties in the state have signed on to become Certified Work Ready Communities. Clarendon County, S.C., is the second county in the nation that has met 100 percent of ACT’s National Certified Work Ready goals. 

The gap for skilled technicians in supply chain automation sector has a worthy challenger.  The Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) announced the Certified Technican - Supply Chain Automation credential in order to prepare technicians who install, operate, support, upgrade, and maintain the automated material handling equipment and systems which support the supply chain.  MSSC is an ally with ACT WorkKeys as a gateway to a successful career pathway.

The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) and ACT recognize the benefits to relative stake-holders of “stacking” MSSC certification credentials upon ACT’s WorkKeys Assessments, specifically the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), as the “foundation” for MSSC’s Certified Forklift Technician (CFT), Certified Production Technician (CPT), Certified Logistics Associate (CLA), and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) credentialing programs. The results of this project and review of its findings can help guide the selection of students into the Certified Forklift Technician program and encourage skill development for those applicants whose skills currently do not match the recommendations for entry.

Bolstered by strong regional partnerships and collaborations, companies in Southern Nevada have access to a host of business development teams willing to roll up their sleeves and find solutions to workforce needs. In fact, Southern Nevada’s attitude of teamwork and strategic problem-solving is earning national recognition.

Earlier this year, The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) awarded its prestigious Laurie Moran Partnership Award to Workforce Connections, Southern Nevada’s Workforce Development Board, and the Vegas Chamber for their joint efforts in advancing the region’s workforce and economic development. The award highlights the collaborative and innovative talent pipelines their teams have established in the region.

KODE-TV Action 12 News provided local feedback to Gov. Parson's plan to expand WorkKeys testing and curriculum throughout Missouri. Dave Rockers, an administrator at Franklin Technology Center in Joplin, spoke on the benefits of scores equated to specific jobs and searching for work across a wide area.

Keeping the future in mind is a necessary function for persisting through disaster recovery. As regions continue to overcome the pandemic, there is a balance in preparing for future opportunities and obstacles at the same time. Guests and contributors for episode 25 features Chad Chancellor, Co-Founder and CEO of the Next Move Group; Mark Arenda of Site Selection Magazine; and Brenda Latanza, Preble County (OH) Development Partnership. 

The New Mexico Chamber of Commerce launched into 2021 with a business-led, strategic plan for New Mexico’s economic recovery. The plan includes support for implementing Work Ready Communities and other WorkKeys solutions statewide.

The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) and ACT recognize the benefits to stakeholders of “stacking” MSSC certification credentials upon ACT’s WorkKeys Assessments, specifically the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), as the “foundation” for MSSC’s Certified Technician– Supply Chain Automation (CT-SCA) for Equipment Maintenance, Certified Forklift Technician (CFT), Certified Production Technician (CPT), Certified Logistics Associate (CLA), and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) credentialing programs. The results of the current project and review of its findings can help guide the selection of students into the CT-SCA Equipment Maintenance program and encourage skill development for those applicants whose skills currently do not match the recommendations for entry.