Career Readiness Certificate

Interest in a career readiness certificate, which is sort of a test for job readiness, is growing rapidly across the country, according to a report from Inside Higher Education. The certificate focuses on jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree and is becoming very popular with community colleges.

The certificate is based on nationally normed assessments that cover three areas: reading for information, applied mathematics, and locating information. Test takers receive one of three grades: bronze, silver, or gold. These tests are part of WorkKeys, a product of ACT, and they are correlated to more than 15,000 jobs. Some states have their own certificate program, but they all use the same standards. Introduced in Virginia in 2004, the certificate is now recognized officially in 16 states, and almost 30 states are using it partially or considering use of it.

States and employers are using the certificate in various ways. Paraprofessional teachers in South Carolina, for example, must have a certificate to work in classrooms if they do not have an associate degree. The proficiency standards of the certificate allow the paraprofessionals to meet the standards under NCLB. Community colleges in North Carolina, which has embraced the certificate, are using it to screen candidates for a pharmacy technician program, to enhance the nursing assistants program and to qualify students for fields where there is not a national certification program. The certificate in North Carolina is managed by the community college system, and some campuses are considering using the tests with all incoming freshmen to better assess their academic standing.

ACT has followed up by offering a certificate of its own, the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), emphasizing the portability of the certificate process. Michigan is the only state offering the NCRC, but a half dozen other states are considering it, according to ACT officials.

The major problem so far, according to Barbara Bolin, president of the National Association for Career Credentialing, is getting the word out to employers that the certificate is available and useful. States are marketing the certificate heavily in order to increase demand for it among employers. Also, even though some states welcome the groundwork already done by ACT, officials in other states are reluctant to use a “brand” name, but states using their own certificate can apply for an ACT seal.