Oregon’s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)
Emerging Workforce Talking Points
Background: As a part of Governor Kitzhaber’s CWRC Initiative, ACT WorkKeys testing is now available to high school juniors and seniors at no charge.
Purpose: To communicate the value of the NCRC for high-school students and youth.
Audience: Students, Teachers, Counselors, School Administrators.
WorkKeys Assessments, what does that mean for a student?
· The Workkeys assessments are nationally normed assessments used in 35 states with emerging workers, high school & college students, and adults seeking employment.
· There are a total of three WorkKeys assessments; collectively they make up The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
· The three WorkKeys assessments are: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. The Applied Math test allows the use of a calculator and a formula sheet.
· Students taking all three assessments earn their National Career Readiness Certificate at the level of their lowest score: 3 (Bronze), 4 (Silver), 5 (Gold), and 6 (Platinum).
· Each part has 30 – 35 questions and is 55 minutes long. Scores on each test will be given at a “level”, from 3 to either 6 or 7.
· Accommodations of extended time are available for students with this accommodation documented in their IEP or 504 plans.
· The NCRC is recognized by the Oregon Department of Education as certificate whose assessments in Math and Reading meet the Essential Skills graduation requirements. A score of 5 (Gold) or better is needed to meet the Essential Skills.
· After earning their NCRC, students can retest in their lowest areas to improve their scores in Reading, Math, or Locating Information until they achieve a 5 (Gold) in each area.
NCRC – Does it help Increase Employment Opportunities?
· The NCRC is a credential valued by over 2050 employers in Oregon.
· The WorkKeys may be the first assessments a student takes to show how
their skills in Reading, Math, & Locating Information apply in job settings in their community.
· The NCRC is an important part of a resume and indicates to employers that students have ‘gone the extra mile’ to identify their work readiness skills.
· Students who have earned their NCRC share increased confidence in interviews with potential employers and those employers recognize the commitment the student has made to be work ready.
NCRC – Are College Credits Available?
· The American Council on Education, ACE, endorses the silver and gold NCRC for three college credits in applied critical thinking. An application for these credits and/or a fee may be required.
· Clackamas Community College (CCC) and Northwest Christian University (NCU) currently award 3 college credits for the Silver and Gold NCRC.
The Oregon NCRC program is funded with federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, administrated by the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. The Oregon NCRC is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary formats are available upon request to persons with disabilities. © 2010 Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development.