Giving employers and career seekers a uniform measure of key workplace skills.
PurposeVirginia's Career Readiness Certificate was created to assist employers by certifying that a recipient possesses core skills in applied math, reading for information, and locating information-skills that are required by more than 85% of all jobs in the country.
To earn a Career Readiness Certificate, individuals undergo testing related to reading, applied math, and locating information through the WorkKeys skills testing program. WorkKeys is a comprehensive skills assessment tool recognized by thousands of companies in the U.S. and by state and federal agencies.
Individuals can earn three levels of Career Readiness Certificates based on their test performance:
- Bronze level signifies that a recipient possesses skills for approximately 30% of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys in these three specific skill areas.
- Silver signifies that a recipient possesses skills for approximately 65% of jobs profiled by WorkKeys in these areas.
- Gold signifies that a recipient possesses skills for 90% of jobs profiled by WorkKeys in the three areas.
NRCC Adult Education's Role
While our program promotes the certificate and supports learner attainment, the program is not the training provider for WorkKeys, the assessment tool which candidates take in order to earn the certificates. Adult Education's role is to provide appropriate placement to our learners.
The certificate is offered to adult learners due to collaboration between the community college and adult education. This partnership exists so that the ABE program does not undercut the community college's state mandate to provide enhancement training and testing services. This relationship allows our program to do the following:
- Actively promote the certificate to all adult learners as an optional component.
- Administer the computer-based diagnostic provided in Key Train to all CCP learners.
- Provide enhancement training to learners scoring below level 3 on the diagnostic.
- Refer learners scoring 3 or above on the diagnostic to the WorkKeys Coordinator at NRCC.
- Report learners who attain the credential to the main office as reaching a NRS follow-up goal (placement in post-secondary education).
New River Community College's Role
NRCC is the testing provider. Additionally, it provides enhancement training for learners who assess at level 3 or higher on the diagnostic. Each semester NRCC provides a WorkKeys testing schedule. Each test date requires a minimum of ten candidates. Promotional materials regarding the certificate are available from the WorkKeys Coordinator at 674-3600 ext.4352.
Fees
All Enhancement Training: $52.00 per candidate
WorkKeys Assessment: $50.00 per candidate
Note: All questions or concerns regarding fees for adult learners should be directed to the Adult Education office at 674-3645.