Mississippis Career Readiness Certificate Program

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Mississippis Career Readiness Certificate
Program

• SOUTHEASTERN WORKKEYS CONFERENCE
• CHATTANOOGA, TN
• JANUARY 24, 2008
• PRESENTED BY
• JASON CARTER
• AND JIM LOTT

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(No Transcript)
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The CRC Initiative in Mississippi is designed to
equip students and jobseekers with a credential
that certifies to employers thatThe individual
has basic skills to learn/perform most of the
jobs in the workplace.
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HIGHLIGHTING MISSISSIPPIS WORKFORCE

• AWARDING CRCs WILL VALIDATE THAT MISSISSIPPIS
  WORKFORCE IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER STATES.
• THE STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES
  HAS A DATA SYSTEM THAT TRACKS ALL THE WORKKEYS
  RESULTS.

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MISSISSIPPIS APPROACH

• USE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM AS THE SERVICE
  PROVIDER

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COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

• 14 COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND ONE JUNIOR COLLEGE IN
  MISSISSIPPI
• THE STATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS DR. ERIC CLARK
• THE DIRECTOR OF THE WORKFORCE DIVISION IS DR.
  JASON PUGH
• THE CRC DIRECTOR IS JASON CARTER

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COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEMII

• THE CRC SYSTEM IS OVERSEEN AT EACH INSTITUTION BY
  THE WORKFORCE DIRECTOR
• THE ADULT BASIC EDUCATION STAFF ASSISTS IN
  SEVERAL WAYS, INCLUDING PROCTORING AND REMEDIATION

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A Multi-Level ApproachThree levels of
certificates
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Scores a level 3 on WorkKeys Assessment Possesses
core employability skills for approximately 30
of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys in the three
skill areas.
Scores a level 4 on WorkKeys Assessment Possesses
core employability skills for approximately 65
of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys in the three
skill areas.
Scores a level 5 on WorkKeys Assessment Possesses
core employability skills for approximately 90
of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys in the three
skill areas.
Based on WorkKeys assessment in Reading, Math,
and Locating Information
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Career Readiness Certificate

• Each CRC is signed by the Governor of
  Mississippi the Chairman, State Board for
  Community Jr. Colleges the Chairman, State
  Workforce Investment Board
• The back of the certificate provides detailed
  information about the skills ability of the
  individual earning the certificate

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Mississippi CRC Current Partners

• The Governors Office
• Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board
• Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior
  Colleges
• Mississippi Department of Employment Security

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Statewide Recognition of CRC
Mississippi CRC
Economic Dev.
Business Industry
Workforce Dev.
Education
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
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Mississippi and the CRC

• Implementation Plan
• 15 Community and Junior Colleges First
• Adult Basic Education Programs
• WIN Job Centers
• Pilot With Selected Secondary Schools
• WorkKeys Assessments
• KeyTrain Curriculum

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Mississippis Implementation Plan1. Establish
each Community College and up to four satellite
locations as WorkKeys value added resellers.2.
Designate an administrator for each Community
College.3. Webinar training from ACT.4. Staff
training for using KEYTRAIN for remediation and
pre- and post- tests
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• 5. Begin administering WorkKeys assessments.
• 6. All assessments are conducted on-line, with a
  proctor present.
• 7. Provide information to Jason Carter, who will
  issue certificates.

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ALL COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE BECOMING WORKKEYS
VALUE-ADDED RESELLERS

• ACT AUTHORIZES A VALUE-ADDED RESELLER (VAR) TO
  CONDUCT WORKKEYS ASSESSMENTS THROUGH A PROCESS
  THAT INCLUDES BOTH AN APPLICATION AND A
  CONTRACT. 
• THE VAR AGREES TO CERTAIN SECURITY AND PRIVACY
  REQUIREMENTS, AND A PROCTORING PROTOCOL.
• THE VAR HAS THE RIGHT TO CHARGE ADDITIONAL FEES
  IF IT SO CHOOSES.

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KEYTRAIN ASSISTANCE

• TRAIN ALL THE CC STAFF TO USE THE ON-LINE
  REMEDIATION TOOLS
• PROVIDE PRE- AND POST- TESTING
• PILOT WITH SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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Community Colleges Satellite Locations

• Coahoma CC Clarksdale, MS
• Copiah-Lincoln CC Wesson, MS
• Brookhaven, MS WIN Job Center
• Hazlehurst, MS WIN Job Center
• Natchez, MS WIN Job Center
• East Central CC Decatur, MS
• Forest, MS WIN Job Center
• ITTC/MBCI (Integrated Technologies Ctr.)
  Choctaw, MS
• Leake Co. Career-Tech Ctr. Carthage, MS
• Winston Co. Career-Tech Ctr. Louisville, MS

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• East MS CC Mayhew, MS
• East MS CC Scooba, MS
• Hinds CC Raymond, MS
• Holmes CC Ridgeland, MS
• Attala Educational Ctr. Kosciusko, MS
• DP McGowan Workforce Trng. Ctr. Ridgeland, MS
• Industrial Tech Ctr. Grenada, MS
• MR Throne Career-Tech Ctr. Goodman, MS
• Itawamba CC Tupelo, MS
• Jones CC Ellisville, MS
• Meridian CC Meridian, MS
• Meridian, MS WIN Job Ctr.

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• MS Delta CC Moorhead, MS
• MS Gulf Coast CC Gulfport, MS
• Northeast MS CC Booneville, MS
• Northwest MS CC Senatobia, MS
• Regional Tech. Ctr. Holly Springs, MS
• SouthHaven, MS WIN Job Ctr.
• Oxford, MS WIN Job Ctr.
• Batesville, MS WIN Job Ctr.
• Pearl River CC Hattiesburg, MS
• PRCC Computer Lab Columbia, MS
• Pearl River CC Poplarville, MS
• Pearl River CC Hancock Ctr. Waveland, MS
• Pearl River CC Picayune Computer Lab Picayune,
  MS
• Southwest MS CC Summit, MS

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INITIAL TARGET AUDIENCES

• CAREER TECH
• VOC TECH
• WORKFORCE TRAINING STUDENTS
• GRE STUDENTS
• INDUSTRY NEW HIRES

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EXPANDED TARGET AUDIENCES

• JOB APPLICANTS
• JOB SEEKERS
• UI APPLICANTS
• ALL AT THE WIN JOB CENTERS
• (MISSISSIPPIS ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS)

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DEVELOPMENT IN MISSISSIPPI

• GENESIS WAS THE WIRED GRANT FOR WEST ALABAMA
  EAST MISSISSIPPI
• FOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN MS NEEDED TO REPLICATE
  ALABAMAS CRC SYSTEM
• WORKING WITH ACT AND THE STATE BOARD FOR CJC,
  FIRST CERTIFICATES WERE AWARDED IN MAY, 2007

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GOING STATEWIDE

• MISSISSIPPI WENT STATEWIDE ON JULY 1, 2007
• THANKS TO NORTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA, AND ACT

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DATA BASE SYSTEM

• STATE-DEVELOPED INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE INCLUDES A
  QUERYABLE DATABASE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS AND
  COMPANY HR OFFICES
• BORROWED FILE STRUCTURE FROM NORTH CAROLINA

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COSTS

• ACT HAS PROVIDED US A REDUCED COST PACKAGE BASED
  ON THE STATEWIDE APPROACH, AND THE EDUCATIONAL
  DISCOUNT
• SOME STATES CHARGE THE INDIVIDUALS. MISSISSIPPI
  IS PROVIDING THE TESTS FOR FREE AT THIS TIME.

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FUNDING SOURCES

• WORKFORCE ENHANCEMENT TRAINING FUND (State
  Employer tax related to UI)
• GOVERNORS WIA SET-ASIDE FUNDS

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THE NUMBERS!

• MISSISSIPPI HAS AWARDED 2,000 CAREER READINESS
  CERTIFICATES IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OPERATION
• MISSISSIPPI WILL AWARD OVER 5,000 CAREER
  READINESS CERTIFICATES BY DECEMBER, 2008

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NEXT STEPS

• FOCUS ON COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH TO
  MISSISSIPPI COMPANIES
• DEVELOP AN OPERATIONS GUIDE
• EXPAND TO SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS
• EXPAND TO ALL WIN JOB CENTERS
• CONSIDER THE USE OF CUSTOMIZED PROFILING

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OUTREACH TO BUSINESS

• WORKING WITH THE MISSISSIPPI MANUFACTURERS
  ASSOCIATION
• WORKING WITH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
• PARTNERING ONE COMPANY AT A TIME
• OUR INDUSTRY CHAMPIONS ARE NORTHRUP-GRUMMAN AND
• TOWER AUTOMOTIVE

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Questions ?