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Moniteau Presiding Commissioner Joe Lutz and 2nd District Commissioner Jerry Volkart recently accepted the Work Ready Community Award on behalf of Moniteau County. In Cooper County, Presiding Commissioner George Monk, Eastern District Commissioner Charlie Melkersman, and Western District Commissioner Danny Larm accepted the award for their county’s accomplishments.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has taken a significant step in ensuring that students are not just academically prepared but also workforce-ready through its Learn and Earn Internship Program. This initiative, in partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the local business community, offers rising seniors a transformative experience that combines classroom instruction with hands-on industry exposure.
Genesee County’s ACT Work Ready Communities campaign has quickly hit its first milestone with support from various employers. Business signups surpassed 92, meeting the program’s goal. Now, local supporters are working with schools, workforce institutions, and other stakeholders to recruit candidates and companies for the next phase.
All three ACT WorkKeys assessments were significant predictors of successful program completion and credential attainment, according to thesis research of learners just outside of Columbus, Ohio. The study emphasized key postsecondary CTE policies, the importance of ACT WorkKeys for entry, enrollment barriers, and policy changes to improve practices. It supported ACT WorkKeys for measuring academic and job readiness, aligning with existing research and advocating for policy reforms to enhance student success.
The WRC team at ACT has a value-packed year ahead for professional development and networking with Workforce Wednesday, WRC Live, the Boot Camp, and the new ACT Summit. Powered by thousands of employers and local champions in hundreds of Work Ready Communities across dozens of states, Workforce Wednesday and WRC Live! are provided at no charge to participating WorkKeys and WRC locations.
A push to attain grant funding to help local students and businesses grow is underway through the ACT Workkeys Initiative. Check out the KTLO interview with Rebecca Camp, the Special Programs Coordinator for Mountain Home Public Schools.
Ignite innovation and drive meaningful change by registering for the 2025 ACT Summit. By bringing together the ACT Workforce Summit, National ACT State Organizations Virtual Conference, and ACT Enrollment Management Summit, this reimagined event creates a powerful platform for cross-sector collaboration, fresh insights, and innovative solutions to today’s challenges.
Catch the excitement for the ACT Summit 2025! Registration is now open.
Site Selection magazine's annual State of the State rankings for 2025 are out. Publishers use annual growth of the WorkKeys NCRC as one of six key metrics in the rankings.
The Batavian published a column this week from Chris Suozzi of the Genesee County EDC with strong emphasis on opportunities for employers in their rapidly-growing Work Ready Communities initiative.

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