NEWS
Wyoming's Career Readiness Certificate Celebrates Two Years of Success
CHEYENNE – Wyoming Career Readiness Certificate Initiative celebrates its second year in operation on Friday, July 9th. The Initiative, administered by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, has issued over (2,355 total – 539 Gold, 1,289 Silver, 527 Bronze) certificates to Wyoming's job seekers in the past two years.
Wyoming's Career Readiness Certificate is an assessment-based credential that gives employers, educators and job seekers a uniform measure of foundational skills. The three areas of focus in the assessment are Reading for Information, Locating Information and Applied Mathematics. The three levels of achievement, from highest to lowest, are gold, silver and bronze. Testing for the Career Readiness Certificate is being administered through the Wyoming Community Colleges and their outreach centers.
Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, said, "Since the beginning of this initiative, I've been amazed with the commitment and participation from all of our partners. The Governor's Office, the Wyoming Department of Education, our community colleges and the Wyoming Department of Corrections have exceeded our expectations. I look forward to continuing our efforts to educate employers and jobseekers on the value of this certificate."
Wyoming is among 23 other states that have the Career Readiness Certificate. One of the Career Readiness Certificate's most attractive features is its transportability. A Certificate earned in Wyoming is recognized in the 23 states that are administering the Initiative, and Wyoming will recognize certificates earned in other states.
Amelia Kelso, the Career Readiness Program Manager for the Department, said, "The program has been a great success for both employers and employees in Wyoming. When job seekers come into the Laramie Workforce Center and tell me they are having trouble finding a job, I recommend the Wyoming Career Readiness Certificate as an employability credential they can use to their benefit. On the flip side, employers can be confident when they hire a Wyoming Career Readiness Certificate holder, that the applicant has the skills they need to succeed in that position and therefore develop into a profitable employee."
The Career Readiness Certificates utilizes the WorkKeys® assessment system developed by the respected researchers at ACT, Inc. in Iowa City, IA – best known for its widely accepted college entrance examination. WorkKeys assessments measure essential workplace skills and provide a score that employers may use to apply objectivity among job seekers and candidates for promotion to new positions. The scores also allow educators and employers to target training when skill gaps are identified by the assessment process. Certification assists state-wide economic development efforts as well, by demonstrating that a pool of skilled workers is available for businesses interested in relocating to, or expanding in Wyoming.
Wyoming's Career Readiness Certificate is a result of a partnership between The Governor's Office, Wyoming Community Colleges, Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming Department of Corrections and the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
For more information on Wyoming Career Readiness Certificate, visit wyomingworkforce.org/crc, call 877-WORK-WYO or find us on Facebook.
