The National Career Readiness Certificate, issued by ACT, is a portable, evidence-based credential that measures essential workplace skills and is a reliable predictor of workplace success. This credential is used across all sectors of the economy and measures the following skills:

• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Reading and using written, work-related text
• Applying information from workplace documents to solve problems
• Applying mathematical reasoning to work-related problems
• Setting up and performing work-related mathematical calculations
• Locating, synthesizing, and applying information that is presented graphically
• Comparing, summarizing, and analyzing information presented in multiple related graphics

• Screening—Employers interview only applicants who have the skills required for the job.
• Hiring and promotion—A National Career Readiness Certificate can be used as a "plus" factor to help make selection and promotion decisions.
• Targeting employee training and development—Employers can target their training budgets for job-specific skills rather than basic skills

What are the Benefits?
The Certificate is an easily understood, conveniently attained, and universally valued workforce credential. Because The Certificate validates that an individual has certain essential skills important across a range of jobs, employers, career seekers, economic developers, and educators can use The Certificate as a common language to improve the quality of the workforce. The skill levels are meaningful to career seekers, educators, and employers.

Based on objective, standardized results
The WorkKeys assessments that are the basis for the National Career Readiness Certificate are objective, standardized assessments, administered in secure, monitored testing environments to ensure the validity of test results.

Nationwide portability
WorkKeys is a program recognized by employers and education entities nationwide. WorkKeys assessment results and certificates can help individuals find job opportunities wherever they live.

An internationally recognized assessment organization
ACT is a not-for-profit organization committed to education and workplace success. ACT is best known for the ACT® test, an entrance exam colleges trust. ACT is equally committed to the National Career Readiness Certificate to solve America's workplace challenges. All of ACT's assessments undergo rigorous development to achieve acceptable levels of reliability and validity.

Available for immediate use
More than 9 million WorkKeys assessments have been taken over the past dozen years. The WorkKeys system offers pencil-and-paper, Internet-based, and Spanish-language tests.

Why is it needed?
The mismatch between the skills required for most jobs and the skills of the U.S. workforce is having a significant impact on productivity and revenue across all businesses and industries. Employers need reliable ways to measure foundational skills to ensure they are hiring the most qualified, trainable candidates.

The American workforce pipeline consists of high school, college, university, and adult training program graduates; the unemployed; the incarcerated; returning retirees; and the currently employed. Today, our workforce pipeline is challenged.

To help overcome these challenges, we need a workforce with the foundational skills to succeed and a common language for educators and employers to measure skills. The solution? The nation's workforce credential—the National Career Readiness Certificate.

How do I become part of the NCRC movement?
Becoming an NCRC supported employer is easy, simply contact your local Business Services Specialist and set up a meeting.

Information used from ACT.org.

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