| Work Keys
Employers, nationwide, are concerned about their employees being
able to meet the challenges of a high performance workplace in the
21st century. Higher skill levels will be necessary to meet those
challenges and that means ongoing workforce training and education.
ACT, in consultation with employers, educators, and experts in employment
and training requirements, has identified critical workplace skills.
The WorkKeys system was then developed as a cost effective way to
introduce a common language into workforce development.
The WorkKeys System consists of:
- Profiling
(job analysis) to determine the skill requirements of jobs;
- Skill assessment
to determine the current skills of individuals;
- Instructional support
to help educators/trainers assist learners in improving their
skills.
Job profiles help employers identify the
skills needed for workers to be successful on the job, taking the
guesswork out of the hiring process. Using proven methods, professional
job analysts work with existing staff to define the duties of each
occupation and create a specific profile.
Then, working with the state’s WorkOne Centers, individuals
who have had their skills previously assessed are then cross-checked
with those job requirements. When matches are found, WorkOne Centers
forward the prospective applicant’s information onto the company.
WorkKeys also makes it easier for a company to identify skill gaps
and determine the type of training program which may be required
to upgrade the skills of their current workforce.
WorkKeys is designed to measure workplace skills, relate those skills
to specific jobs, identify skill gaps, and help individual workers
acquire new skills. Work Keys job profiling and worker assessments
are now available at no charge, to qualifying companies through
the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
The cost of profiling jobs and assessing current and potential new
employees will be paid by DWD. WorkKeys measures skills in the following
areas:
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Technology
- Business Writing
- Listening
- Locating Information
- Observation
- Readiness
- Reading for Information
- Teamwork
- Writing
For more information about WorkKeys, visit
their website at www.act.org/workkey
.
To find out if your company might qualify for WorkKeys services
funded by the
Indiana Department of Workforce Development, contact Brenda Johnson,
Business Relations Specialist, at bjohnson@dwd.in.us. |
