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10,000 WorkKeys Assessments in Three Years!

By on February 20, 2014
10,000 WorkKeys Assessments in Three Years!

How does the WorkKeys Solution Center at the Corporate College work for you?

  • Conducting on-site assessments of potential applicants for employment or of incumbents for new positions.
  • Having ACT authorized profilers on staff who perform job skill and task analysis of key positions.
  • Assisting companies utilize job analysis results to identify skill gaps, develop curriculum, or in hiring.
  • Consulting with area companies on curriculum profiles benchmarked to WorkKeys levels.
  • Providing technical assistance in the use of occupational profiles.
  • Issuing the National Career Readiness Certificate and WorkKeys assessments to individuals.

WorkKeys Works – The Aha MomentThese solutions were not just developed in a vacuum without input from the industries we serve. We understand that just like within the product development process, there is an emphasis on identifying pre-employment skills as well as incumbent talent recognition and development. Our solutions are developed to specifically address the daily recruitment/selection needs of our client companies as well as the skill development needs that most companies incur in their talent development cycle.

On a less frequent basis, our WorkKeys solutions assist our clients with their succession planning needs and talent development projections. Our clients tell us that it is somewhat difficult to plan for the future when you don’t really understand where you are presently.

We strive to be an integral part of our client’s solutions as they try to carve their niche in both today’s and the future’s market.

To this end, the WorkKeys Solution Center has been pretty busy completing 10,000 assessments in the last three years for training programs and many different industries such as:

  • Aerospace
  • Automotive
  • Biotechnology
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Service

Pre-employment Training

To reach targeted job requirements, the WorkKeys system has also become an essential component in the development and delivery of pre-employment training programs for major regional employers such as Boeing, SSM Healthcare and BJC HealthCare. These programs are customized to the entry requirements for employment in positions such as Assembly Mechanics, Patient Care Technicians and Medical Assistants.

After conducting a job/training skill and task analysis, WorkKeys is used as the key assessment tool to determine whether candidates will be successful in the program and ultimately on the job. Employer partners credit WorkKeys as an important contributor to the high success rates of this program strategy.

Skills Gap

We don’t want to be in the business of just assessing people and ignoring those who do not meet the current requirements. WorkKeys is used as an important tool in identifying and addressing foundational and “soft skills” gaps. Foundational skills such as applied mathematics and reading for information are identified in the assessment process and addressed through a variety of interventions based on individual needs including the ACT KeyTrain system or our mastery based Adult Learning Academy.

Soft skill deficiencies such as teamwork, work discipline, managerial potential, and customer service orientation are assessed using ACT’s WorkKeys Talent Assessment. Soft skills gaps are addressed through curriculum like KeyTrain and eventually through first hand work-based learning where individuals practice and demonstrate the appropriate soft skills to retain employment.

Contact Jim Duane at 314-539-5316 to find out more about the WorkKeys system and how it can assist your company.

About Jim Duane

Jim has more than 30 years of experience in the workforce development field. At St. Louis Community College’s Workforce Solutions Group, Jim is the manager and lead WorkKeys job task and skill profiler for the WorkKeys Solution Center. Throughout his 10 plus years as a WorkKeys Job Profiler, Jim has worked with numerous large, medium and small size companies in the aerospace/defense, beverage, cement manufacturing, construction, drug manufacturing, electric utility, healthcare, hospital, petroleum-chemical processing, and sporting goods industries. His team has conducted approximately 50,000 WorkKeys assessments for companies, organized labor, schools, and organizations. He has also presented at national and regional conferences, chaired regional workforce resource committees, and conducted numerous local, statewide and national focus groups around workforce development. He has received the Missouri Governor's Award for Excellence in Leadership in workforce development. This award was based on the Malcolm Baldridge quality management criteria.