Missouri Division of Workforce Development

1
WorkKeysAn Introduction for Field Staff

• Developed by
• Kim Mildward, Lynn Dutton, Mike McKown and Mike
  Waltman

2
Objectives

• Upon completion of this presentation you will be
  able to
• Identify what is WorkKeys
• How does WorkKeys work
• What are Profiles
• What are Assessments
• What is Skill Upgrade training
• What Accommodations can be made
• Messages

3
What is WorkKeys?

• It is NOT a Test!
• It is an Assessment!

4
What is WorkKeys?

• A comprehensive employability skills assessment
  tool from ACT.
• Designed to help individuals develop better
  workplace skills.
• The basis for the National Career Readiness
  Certificate and the Missouri Career Readiness
  Certificate

5
What does WorkKeys measure?

• Skills that employers believe are critical to job
  success.

6
Need for a Better-Trained Workforce

• In a recent survey by the Society of Human
  Resource Managers (SHRM), human resource
  professionals said that the skills of more than
  60 percent of their job applicants are deficient.

7
It Saves Employers MONEY

• Employers see many benefits from using the
  Missouri Career Readiness Certificate.
• EEO Complaint
• Reduced Training Time
• Lower Turnover Rates
• Higher Training Completion Rates
• Reduced Production Costs
• Less wasted material More Profit!

8
How does WorkKeys work?

• WorkKeys is centered around three major
  components
• Job Profiling
• Assessments
• Training Component

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Job Profiling

• The profiler fist obtains background information
  about the company and about how the job to be
  profiled fits into the company.
• The profiler begins the process by developing an
  initial task list of the position.

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Job Profiling (cont.)

• The profiler will then meet with subject matter
  experts of the job being studied to review and
  revise the list of tasks to make a final list
  that accurately represents their job as it is
  performed in the company.

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Job Profiling (cont.)

• The final document is a listing of important
  tasks an individual must perform and the skill
  level required to perform the job.
• Assessments can be matched with task lists and
  used for employee training, selection or
  instruction al program development.

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Alternatives to Profiles

• SkillMap- an online service that offers maximum
  scheduling flexibility for participants.
• WorkKeys Estimator- a paper-and-pencil format
  that generates quick results for recruitment and
  development purposes.
• Occupational Profiles- a summary of all profiles
  registered with ACT for a position.

13
How does WorkKeys work?

• WorkKeys is centered around three major
  components
• Job Profiling
• Assessments
• Training Component

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Assessments

• Assessments cover transferable and soft skills of
  employees.
• Assessments are given in paper/pencil, video or
  internet based format.
• Each test is 30 to 75 minutes in length.

15
Assessment (cont.)

• Assessment scores are based on a list of tasks
  the employee must master to score at that level.
• Reports for businesses, education and workforce
  development are easy to read.
• Scores can be available approximately 2 hours
  after testing for most tests.

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What assessments are required for the Missouri
Career Readiness Certificate?

• Applied Mathematics
• Locating Information
• Reading for Information

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What other WorkKeys assessments are available?

• Communication
• Business Writing
• Listening
• Reading for Information
• Writing
• Interpersonal
• Teamwork

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Other Assessments (cont.)

• Problem Solving
• Applied Technology
• Applied Mathematics
• Locating Information
• Observation

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Accommodations

• Access for ALL Customers

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Accommodations

• Assessment accommodations are the responsibility
  of the site. As a staff member, you should
• Make sure examinees are aware of the
  accommodations available to them prior to the
  test date.
• Accommodations that do not directly impact the
  nature of the skill measured should be provided
  but will not be documented on the testing form.

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Accommodations Available

• Large-print answer document
• Braille answer document
• Caption video test
• Reader/signer
• Assistance in recording responses
• Extra time
• Foreign language dictionaries

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Preparations for Customers

• Things Customers Need to Know to Prepare for the
  Assessment Session

23
Assessment Sessions

• The administer may give all of the assessments in
  one session with breaks between assessments
• Administer each assessment separately on
  different days
• Or administer the assessments in a combination of
  these two options.

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How Much Time is Allowed?

• Completing the Score Document Demographics takes
  5 minutes.
• Assessments usually take 40 to 45 minutes.
• Total time by each customer to complete MoCRC is
  approximately 3 hours with breaks.

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What to Bring?

• Unless provided by the Career Center, each
  customer should come prepared with
• 2 No. 2 soft lead pencils
• A four function calculator
• A watch to pace themselves with
• A foreign language dictionary

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What NOT to Bring?

• Customers should not bring the following with
  them to the testing session
• Cell phone, PDA, palm pilot or MP3 player
• A watch with an alarm
• Anyone who they would need to keep an eye on
  while taking the assessments

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Situations that may arise

• Things that can happen and how to deal with them.

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Prohibited Behaviors

• Admitting an individual to the assessment session
  after the session has started.
• Looking at someone elses answer document.
• Giving or receiving assistance.
• Using notes.
• Filling in ovals after time has been called.

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Retest Policy

• Skill Upgrade Training is Required Before
  Retesting

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Training Component

• When is Skill Upgrade needed?
• Skill Upgrade Tools
• WIN for WorkKeys
• KeyTrain
• Special Classes

31
Skill Upgrade Training

• Programs Designed Specifically for WorkKeys and
  Approved by ACT
• Available 24/7 online
• Used when a client needs to increase skills to
  achieve desired MoCRC level
• May also be Special Courses for example AEL

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Promotional Information for Staff

• Tips to assist with promoting the MoCRC and
  answering questions

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What does the CRC do for me as a Job Seeker?

• The CRC helps you take charge of your career and
  find the right job fit.
• By helping you find career paths and jobs that
  fit your skills,
• By giving you an edge over other job applicants,
• By proving to employers that you have the skills
  that are needed for the job.

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How does it do that?

• The MoCRC uses WorkKeys, a nationally recognized
  job skills assessment system.
• WorkKeys assessments will measure your abilities
  in the three key areas identified by employers as
  critical to job success
• Reading for information
• Locating information
• Applied mathematics

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How does it do that? (cont.)

• Plus, if there is a particular skill area the job
  seeker would like to improve their scores in, the
  MoCRC comes with an e-learning skill improvement
  system called the Worldwide Interactive Network
  (WIN)

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Will this take up a lot of my time?

• Weve made the process convenient for the job
  seeker. Each of the three assessments takes less
  than an hour to complete. Plus, the WIN
  e-learning system is available anywhere there is
  an internet connection.
• The MoCRC also comes with a statewide network of
  workforce professionals that can provide personal
  assistance with managing your career.

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Where do I take the assessments?

• You can be assessed (answer will vary by
  location)
• On-site Career Center or
• At the ACT Assessment Center in at location.

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How much does it cost?

• The costs for the first set of assessments,
  including the meeting with a Career Counselor to
  review your scores and e-learning tool are paid
  for by the Missouri Division of Workforce
  Development
• Your investment is your time spent taking the
  assessments.
• May I schedule you for an appointment to discuss
  the MoCRC in depth with one of our counselors?

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The MoCRC is a CORE Service

• The cost of the battery of three assessments is
  paid for with
• a voucher using WIA 15 funds.
• This voucher is available to clients who
• register on MissouriCareerSource.com
• demonstrate an interest in employment with and
  conduct searches for jobs that are a priority in
  their regional labor market or have been listed
  by employers who endorse the MoCRC.

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Examples of Labor Market Demand Jobs

• Grade A occupations exiting in the area
• Selected Growth Industries
• Jobs with family supporting wages
• Jobs that have career ladder plans
• Businesses that endorse the MoCRC
• Qualifying job criteria relevant to a particular
  region.

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What does the CRC do for my business?

• The MoCRC is a good investment in your companys
  bottom line and can be part of a competitive
  advantage.
• It takes the guesswork out of your selection
  decision and make sure applicants for your jobs
  are the right fit.

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How does it do that?

• The MoCRC uses WorkKeys a nationally recognized
  job skill assessment system that has been proven
  to help businesses reduce turnover, increase ROI,
  and improve productivity.
• The MoCRC results provide your business with
  valuable, accurate hiring information.

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What does the CRC provide beside assessment
scores?

• The MoCRC comes with Business Representatives who
  can meet with you to talk over how the Career
  Center can help your hiring process, and even
  help you write up an on-line job posting.
• It also comes with a variety of tools that can
  identify the necessary skill levels in your key
  occupations.

44
Career Center Communications

• Each Career Center is unique and will need a
  communication plan for how to handle scheduling
  and questions.
• Each WIB or Career Center should have a plan in
  place to direct communications regarding MoCRC
  within the Career Center.
• All staff should be aware of the policies of
  related to MoCRC for their Career Center.

45
WorkKeysAn Introduction for Field Staff

• Questions?
• Kim Mildward
• Lynn Dutton
• Mike McKown
• Mike Waltman