Build a Quality Workforce!

The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) helps:

Find the RIGHT candidate

The NCRC is a transferable credential that proves an individual is work ready. It is a tool that demonstrates to employers that an individual possesses the basic skills required for success in today’s workforce. The program is based on hard-skills testing integrated into a system called WorkKeys®, which was created by ACT, a nationally-recognized assessment organization.

The ACT WorkKeys job skill assessment system is a validated, EEOC-compliant system used to evaluate jobs and compare the skills required by certain jobs. It verifies that the person can handle tasks in

• Applied Mathematics,
• Reading for Information, and
• Locating Information.

These are skills critical in 77% of the jobs in the country.

Improve your bottom line

• Find Better Applicants: It helps you find better-quality job applicants. You can interview only applicants who have the skills desired for the position.
• Reduce Hiring Costs: It reduces hiring expenses by streamlining hiring. Employers can use the NCRC as another filtering tool for screening the best applicants.
• Reduce Turnover: It reduces turnover because it provides you with workers who have documented skill proficiencies.
• Improve Effectiveness of Training Dollars: It improves the effectiveness of your valuable training dollars. When a new employee enters a job with an identified skill level, training dollars can be targeted to address any skills gaps.

Assess the Work Readiness of Your Applicants

To qualify for a National Career Readiness Certificate, career seekers take the three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. Certificates are awarded in four levels, including Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Bronze: The person scores at least a level 3 in each of the three core areas and has the necessary foundational skills for 35 percent of the jobs in the WorkKeys database.

Silver: The person scores at least a level 4 in each of the three core areas and has the necessary foundational skills for 65 percent of the jobs in the WorkKeys database.

Gold: The person scores at least a level five in each of the three core areas and has the necessary foundational skills for 90 percent of the jobs in the WorkKeys database.

Platinum: The person scores at least a level six or above in each of the three core areas and has the necessary foundational skills for 99 percent of the jobs in the WorkKeys database.

[View the NCRC Employer brochure]

[Employer Letter of Support]

[Employer Quick Reference Guide to WorkKeys and the NCRC]

ACT Links:

• Breakdown of nationwide NCRC certificate distribution.
• Overview of the NCRC certificate.
• Browse WorkKeys Occupational Profiles.
• Broad list of WorkKeys Case Studies throughout North America.
• Validate a Certificate

ACT Resources:

• Employer Handbook

More information on the assessments that make up the NCRC:

APPLIED MATHEMATICS

• Details
• Levels and Characteristics
• Sample Questions
• Formula Sheet

READING FOR INFORMATION

• Details
• Levels and Characteristics
• Sample Questions
• Reading Document

LOCATING INFORMATION

• Details
• Levels and Characteristics
• Sample Questions

Legal Considerations

• EEOC Compliance
• Technical Bulletin

Wisconsin Businesses Support NCRC

Testimony from Wisconsin businesses about NCRC.

"As we recruit new members, we're always focused on finding the best candidates -- those who will be a good fit with the company for the long-term. The NCRC process is something we're now beginning to implement as one part of our recruiting process, as we feel it will help bring in the most qualified and strongest candidates to our company. Additionally, we see this as another tool we can utilize to help maintain standardized hiring practices across our company and reduce turnover."

-- John Schwantes, Senior Business Partner, Johnsonville Sausage

"Having NCRC preferred on our job orders has allowed us to tap into a group of people who are willing to take charge of their employment future. They are willing to put forth the effort (in taking the WorkKeys exams) to show us that they are serious about becoming a part of our team."

-- Wendy Bauer, Human Resources Manager, Universal Recycling Technologies

"The NCRC has helped dramatically in finding the ‘best fit’ for a candidate after they have made it through our interview process."

-- Chris Henry, Training Manager, Federal Mogul

The following are highlights of employers' WorkKeys success stories in other states:

• 911 Communications Center, Lexington County, SC
• Inova Health System, Northern VA

Contact information:

For additional information, please send an email message to: jobcenterofwisconsin@dwd.wisconsin.gov

WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate are registered trademarks of ACT, Inc.