The Career Readiness Certificate in a Systematic Approach to Building Careers
Dr. Barbara Bolin Mitch Rosin President Editorial
Director
McGraw-Hill/Contemporary President www.nationalOCC.org
www.crcconsortium.org
804-310-2552
www.workforceeducation.com
www.workforceconnects.com
312-233-6727
TM
•Whatever the student's educational or work objectives, knowledge of the New Basics . . . is the foundation of success for the after-school years and, therefore, forms the core of the modern curriculum.
•Grades should be indicators of academic achievement so they can be relied on as evidence of a student's readiness for further study.
• Instruction in effective study and work skills, which are essential if school and independent time is to be used efficiently, should be introduced in the early grades and continued throughout the student's schooling.
• Persons preparing to teach should be required to meet high educational standards, to demonstrate an aptitude for teaching, and to demonstrate competence in an academic discipline.
“Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world.”
A Nation At Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform
National Commission on Excellence in Education , April 1983
Our high schools were designed 50 years ago to meet the needs of another age. Until we design them to meet the needs of this century, we will be limiting, even ruining, the lives of millions of Americans every year.
Bill Gates, Governors’ Education SummitWashington DC, Feb 26, 2005
“The merger of globalization and the IT revolution that coincided with the transition from the 20th to the 21st century is changing everything—every job, every industry, every service, every hierarchical institution.
It is creating new markets and new economic and political realities . . . [it] has raised the level of skill a person needs to obtain and retain any good job, while at the same time increasing the global competition for every one of those jobs.”
That Used To Be Us (2011),
Thomas Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum
End ofWWII
1950sBooms: Babies Manufacturing Cars ConstructionGI Bill College education becomes accessible & expected Defines success Leads to middle-management
Civil rightsand socialunrest 1960s
1970sJapan risesWomen in workplaceLow birth ratesOil crisis
A Nation At Risk PCs for everyoneComputers in businessManufacturing Tool industrylostWomen. minorities in workplaceSteel industry declinesJapan auto industry risesUS embraces quality movement 1980s
1990sWIA/welfare reformFree TradeTech boomMc-Millionaires“Me” generationOutsourcingRise of international middle class in BRIC countriesToo few 18-24 yr-olds in USK-16 Education falls shortGlobalization of everythingTech bust
9/11WarsEconomic crisisWorld-wide unrest &unemployment Skills gap
2010
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Jobs of the FutureOf the 30,000,000 new and replacement jobs between now and 2018…
63%
63% will require some college
45% will require a Bachelor’s Degree or higher
45%
Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2009
88 Million of 150 Million Adults in Labor Force with at Least One Educational Barrier
88 Million of 150 Million Adults in Labor Force with at Least One Educational Barrier
18,229,34018,229,340 51,365,34051,365,340
5,177,1275,177,127
8,226,2148,226,2145,005,9435,005,943
No High SchoolDiplomaNo High SchoolDiploma
High School DiplomaNo CollegeHigh School DiplomaNo College
Speak English“Less Than Very Well”Speak English“Less Than Very Well” Source: U.S. Census Bureau
85%
80%
Job Demands Are Shifting
Skilled Jobs
Unskilled Jobs
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Current and Future Realities
Trends in U.S. Job Task Content
Key Shifts Underway
• Boomers are retiring, leaving manager gaps
• Service jobs now dominate (60% today up from 36% in 1960) and make up 85% of income
• Jobs require different skill sets
Source: The Conference Board: The Ill Prepared U.S. Workforce (2009)
• More than 93 million US adults score at the lower levels of national assessments of functional literacy skills and are unprepared to enroll in postsecondary education or job training.
• While school reform hopes to curb our nation’s workforce problem, an estimated 65% of our nation’s 2020 workforce is already beyond the reach of our educational system.
• 40 million Americans have no HS Diploma and more than 18 million of them are in the labor force today.
• 1 million students drop out of HS every year
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Current and Future Realities
Part of the [“skills gap”] problem stems from a national high school drop-out rate of about 30% and a national community college remediation rate of 15%.
Workforce development initiatives such as the $10,000 per student“No Worker Left Behind” in MI, have largely been unsuccessful becausedislocated workers were usually put into college degree programs for which they were unprepared and which were often unnecessary.
The “college for all” mentality is a carry-over from the 1950s when a 4-year college degree was the ticket to the middle class.
In the decade ending 2018, of the 47 million jobs available, nearly half will require only an associates degree, and many will require only short-term technical training to close skills gaps.
‘Skills gap’ Leaves Firms Without a Worker PipelineThe Associated Press, June 2011www.cnbc.com
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Current and Future Realities
• 2009 Pentagon Report: 75% of young people age 17-24are not fit for military service
• PISA 2010: U.S. Ranks 17th in Reading, 23rd in Science, 32nd in Math
• 25% of college freshman drop out before the end of thefirst semester
•1 of 3 college freshman in 4-year programs needremedial classes; 1 of 2 in community colleges
• Only 23 states, and DC, require student learning plansaligned to the 16 DOL/ETA career clusters
“The American system for preparing young people to lead productive and prosperous lives as adults is clearly badly broken.
Millions of young adults now arrive at their mid-20’s without a college degree and/or a route to a viable job.”
Pathways to Prosperity, Harvard Graduate School of Education
WORKER SKILLS &
TRAINABILITY
WORKER SKILLS &
TRAINABILITY==
WORKPLACESKILL & TRAINING
DEMANDS
WORKPLACESKILL & TRAINING
DEMANDS
What does all this mean?
Employers have
Three major concerns with potential and incumbent employees:
1. Poor work ethicMainly a social issue that may be “fixed”
because of new competition for jobs & economic realities
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2. Lack of basic learning skills, i.e. TRAINABILITY for rapidly changing technologies and careers
3. What can people DO, not just what do they KNOW
•The U.S. is the only highly-developed democracy where young adults are less educated than the previous generation.
• The current freshman class is the first that has been “wired” from birth
• If your skills are one in a million, there are 1,300 people just like you in China and India!
Current and Future Realities
Are we preparing students to be college-eligible or college-ready?
Are they career-ready?
Are we helping older adults to transition to new (or a first) careers?
Are we preparing the skilled workforce demanded by the new world economies?
Will the US be competing adequately in 10years?
Serious Questions We MUST Answer
Current and Future Realities
• Connectivity is enabling a whole new category of workers to join the global marketplace—
low-wage, high-skilled workers
• Many of the structural advantages (land; domestic resources; abundance of port cities; large, innovative population and workers)that America had in previous decades are being erased =>
a decrease in our world dominance
That Used To Be Us (2011), Thomas Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum
• For employers, technology changes are coming faster, challenges are coming from everywhere, and opportunities are opening up everywhere
•In 2010, more than 350 million PCs were distributed across the world
• Smartphones with cameras, wireless connectivity and texting capabilities are available almost everywhere
• All these activities are largely supported on the “cloud” which holds almost every software program and application
• Every day, another 2 billion people join the “global conversation” and we have a hyper-connected world
Current and Future Realities
That Used To Be Us (2011), Thomas Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum
As everyone on the planet gains access to the same technology, the only differentiators between companies, countries, and individuals will be
Analytics (analyzing and applying data) and “Human stuff”
“Human stuff” is education, creativity, inspiration, imagination, legal matters, governance, tax policies, and patents
Current and Future Realities
That Used To Be Us (2011), Thomas Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum
“Today’s workforce demands employees with new skills, such as the ability to workcollaboratively across cultures and adapt quickly to changing technologies.” – J. Goldman
Current and Future Realities
•Credentials are the new currency of employment
•Business processes are transportable and will follow skill sets and trainability
Current and Future Realities
•The OLD skills are still important but now it’s what can you DO rather than just what do you KNOW?
Employers and employees are turning to CERTIFICATIONS
CERTIFICATION:Intent of certification is to inform the public that certified individuals have demonstrated a particular degree of knowledge and skill
(Fabrey, 1996)• Is a formal validation of knowledge or skill—based on a qualifying examination. (Drake Prometric, 1995)
• Should provide an objective and consistent method of measuring competence and ensuring the qualifications of technical professionals
(Microsoft, 1995)
• Measures a person’s competence against a given standard — a criterion-referenced test interpretation (Shrock & Coscarelli, 2000)
PROBLEM:700,000 different certificates are awarded each year, but many are not transportable, transferrable, or stackable
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700,000 different certificates are awarded each year, but many are not transportable, transferrable, and stackable—that is, able to be combined with others.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2009Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2009
Current and Future Realities
The Career Readiness Certificate was designed to: 1) Certify applied skills & trainability (using a common language) and 2) Be the basis for stackable, portable credentials acrossall industries
www.bolinenterprises.com ©2011
•Employees are mobile and follow career opportunities•The average worker will change jobs 11 times from choice or necessity •Basic skills are defined and common across industry sectors•A common skills language was required between
employers & educators
In 2004, in 7 states, there was recognition that:
The Career Readiness Certificate
--A Model Framework for Guaranteeing Trainability
Career Readiness--readiness to move on to the next phaseof life:
•Further education
•Entry-level work
•Career and advancement
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In 2004, employers, workforce development professionals and governments in 7 states agreed that:
National Consensus
1) There is a need for a portable skills credential based on a common language, easily understood by employers, educators, and residents, and that certifies trainability;
2) The common language should be WorkKeys®;
3) The three WorkKeys® assessments that should form the basis of the credential: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information,
and Reading For Information;
4) The credential should be multi-level;
5) The scores for each level should be 3's for Bronze, 4's for Silver, and 5's for Gold.
In 2011, more than 47 states are active in the CRC Consortium
Career Readiness Certificate Consortium
CRCs deployed statewide
CRC deployment in progress
Interested in deploying CRC
Source: Career Readiness Certificate Consortiumwww.crcconsortium.orgSource: Career Readiness Certificate Consortiumwww.crcconsortium.org
Career Readiness Certificate Levels and Employability
Bronze Level –Core employability skills for approximately 30% of the jobs
Silver Level - Core employability skills for approximately 65% of the jobs
Gold Level - Core employability skills for approximately 90% of the jobs
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Score at least Level 6 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 99% of jobs in the ACT database
Score at least Level 5 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 90% of jobs in the ACT database
Score at least Level 4 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 65% of jobs in the ACT database
CRC Levels• Used by employers for skills
screening, hiring and promotion, and targeting employee training and development
• Credential levels indicate percent of jobs qualified for in the ACT occupational database
• Provides a common measure for employers to determine workers’ skill levels based on standardized assessments
• Skills outlined on back of CRC
Score at least Level 3 in all core areas. Foundational skills for 35% of jobs in the ACT database
Bronze
Gold
Silver
Platinum
Source: ACTSource: ACT
Applied Mathematics
Locating Information
Reading forInformation
Skill Profile: Nursing Aides
Skill Profiles/Gap Analysis
• Pre-assessment identifies learner skill levels.
• Career interest profile assessment identifies potential careers. Competency levels for each occupation help identify target skill attainment levels.
• Skill gaps help identifywhere instructionshould begin.
3
2
4
3 3
23
43
Skill Gaps
Learner Skill Levels
OccupationalSkill Levels
Linking Skills to Occupations
Career Readiness Preparation and the CRC
Source: ACTSource: ACT
CRC BenefitsEducators/trainers• Identify gaps between current student skills and employment needs • Align curricula to meet the job skills, develop transitional skills• Develop relevant lessons connected to students’ career aspirationsStudents/Job-Seekers/Training Program Participants• Document their readiness for work• See the connection between school lessons and future work• Access to instructional component to fill gapsBusinesses• Decrease hiring costs• Make better hiring decisions• Reduce turnover• Decrease overtime hours• Decrease training time and costs
CRC: Learning = Earnings
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
ONET Code ONET Title AM LI RI Total Annual
37-2012.00 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3 3 3 9 $17,000
53-7051.00 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 3 3 3 9 $26,750
51-9121.01 Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters 3 4 3 10 $26,510
43-5041.00 Meter Readers, Utilities 3 4 3 10 $29,720
51-5023.09 Printing Press Machine Operators and Tenders 3 4 4 11 $30,430
33-3012.00 Correctional Officers and Jailers 3 4 4 11 $33,680
49-9021.02 Refrigeration Mechanics 4 4 4 12 $36,670
33-2011.01 Municipal Fire Fighters 4 4 4 12 $38,690
23-2011.00 Paralegals and Legal Assistants 4 4 5 13 $40,450
33-3051.01 Police Patrol Officers 4 4 5 13 $45,600
25-4021.00 Librarians 5 4 5 14 $46,940
11-9151.00 Social and Community Service Managers 5 4 5 14 $48,330
17-3023.01 Electronics Engineering Technicians 5 5 5 15 $47,140
17-3023.02 Calibration and Instrumentation Technicians 5 5 5 15 $47,140
47-1011.01 First-Line Supervisors - Construction Trades 5 5 5 15 $50,980
13-2011.01 Accountants 6 5 5 16 $51,310
11-9033.00 Education Administrators, Postsecondary 5 5 6 16 $69,400
11-9021.00 Construction Managers 6 5 5 16 $70,770
The Career Readiness Certificate in a Systematic Approach to Building Careers
in
High schoolsCommunity Colleges
Adult Education
Key difference in CRC training and assessment is applying the skills to workplace situations—
so in training you
TEACH TO THE TASK!
Students demonstrate what they can DO, not only what they KNOW
Is training available to close the skills gap?Yes.
On-line training is available from several reputable companies.
Are there hard-copy training materials for use in the classroom?
Yes. The Workplace Skills Series is now available from
Contemporary/McGraw-Hill.
Workplace Skills Series• Develops core contextualized skills for:
– Applied Mathematics: Mathematical reasoning and critical thinking skills through realistic workplace scenarios
– Reading for Information: Effective reading comprehension and synthesis skills through documents such as letters, e-mails, directions, regulations, and policies
– Locating Information: Retrieve and use information communicated through graphic sources (flow charts, diagrams, forms, and tables)
• Provides consistent problem-solving approach in testing and workplace scenarios
• Instruction and skill practice covering CRC Levels 37 in each book
• Builds core CRC competencies from lowest to highest level
• Practice and assessment of all skills learners encounter on CRC tests
Contextualized Practice
• Instruction in TABE aligned basic skills
• Builds core competencies from lowest to highest level
Basic Skills Instruction
• Model skill application and test-taking strategies through the Plan for Successful Solving
• Learners are better prepared for test-taking situations
• Consistent modeling builds learner confidence for problem solving in workplace and test-taking situations
Models Skill Application
Model Skill Application
Consistent problem-solving approach modeled for every skill in all three titles.
• Provide practice applying skill in realistic workplace scenarios
• Robust content and problem-solving skill development
• Real-world scenarios link skills with actual jobs
• Applied scenarios increase learner motivation
Contextualized Practice
Comprehensive Career & Industry Coverage
• Contextualized problems for over 800 careers across the16 DOL Career Clusters
• Provides real-world problem-solving practice across a variety of careers, including green sectors
• Relevant problem-solving practice establishes a purpose for learning, regardless of career goals
More than 2 million CRCs have been issued across50 states and territories since 2004, most over the last 2 years, and the number is growing exponentially.The CRC:• Has evolved into the CRC+ in manufacturing,
apprenticeships, hospitality, health care • Is being used in innovative programs in community colleges (e.g. Get a Skill, Get a Job—or Get Your Money Back at Lansing CC)• Is offered as an additional HS graduation credential• Basis for NAM training certification in 30 colleges• Is an important component of Workforce Connects that combines skills awareness with assessments and job search
www.bolinenterprises.com ©2011
CRC Update
CRC Update• Started in 2009, CareerReady Colorado Certificate just passed the 10,000 mark and governor has now fully endorsed the credential
• Since January 2011, OR has issued more than 11,000 CRCs
• In 2010, 38% increase in CRCs issued in NC
• 150 high schools in NC give students chance to earn a CRC; the CRC has been an exit credential in IN for many years; in AK since 2010 all 11th & 12th graders have to take the three assessments
• In AR, since 2008, 2600 employers have hired CRC recipients, program available in 76 high schools, and more than 30,000 certificates issued
(See www.acteonline.com/currentissue)
“Top 10” States for CRCs Issued1. Georgia 251,5002. South Carolina 161,1643. Michigan 115,3474. Florida 101,4515. North Carolina 91,570 6. Indiana 66,0237. Oklahoma 57,9908. Alabama 38,0449. Ohio 37,00010. Virginia 35,597
OK Work Ready Community Certification
3% of existing workforce with a CRC 25% of available workforce with a CRC Either 85% HS graduation rate or
82% of HS Seniors have a CRC
www.okcareertech.org/cac/workkeys
GA Work Ready Community certification similar
www.gaworkready.org
Virginia CRC Plus Initiatives• CRC +Certified Manufacturing Specialist
CRC any level and Applied Technology(3)
• CRC+ Hospitality (in development)
Bronze CRC and Customer Service training
• CRC+ Apprenticeship (pilot )
CRC any level
• CRC+ Healthcare Clinical Technician (pilot) Silver CRC healthcare context
WorkplaceCompetencies
AcademicCompetencies
Personal EffectivenessCompetencies
Industry-wideTechnicalCompetencies
IndustrySectors
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Manufacturing
Institute.
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Manufacturing
Institute.
NAM Certifications
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Manufacturing
Institute.
NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System. The Manufacturing
Institute.
CRC
For low-skilled adults, the largest economic payoffsare in postsecondary.• One year of college = 10% increase in earnings (astrue for GED grads as for HS grads)– Getting a GED alone does increase earnings, but by lessthan a high school diploma. (Only pays off significantlyfor dropouts with lowest skills and for immigrants.)– Vocational/industry certificates and degrees pay off more than academic ones at the Associate level and below.• Up until now, assumption by programs and by adultstudents has been that GED is the best route togood jobs and postsecondary education.
Current and Future Realities
Target Audiences:•Adult Job Seekers•Adult Learners•Teachers•Counselors•Parents•High School Students•Middle School Students•Elementary School Students
Contemporary Workforce Connects™
All need to know:What the current & emerging jobs areWhere the current & emerging jobs areWhat education/skills are needed for the jobs Where they can get the education/skills they want & need?
WORKFORCETOOLS
JOBSEARCH
CAREERREADINESS
Employment Guide
Job Search Tool
Employment Guide
Job Search ToolIMPROVE SKILLS
AND ASSESS PROGRESS
SKILLASSESSMENT
CAREERANALYSIS
SYSTEM OVERVIEWwww.WorkforceConnects.com
Pre-Assessments
On Your Own Lesson Assessments
Unit Assessments
Pre-Assessments
On Your Own Lesson Assessments
Unit Assessments
TRAINING &INSTRUCTION
Career Readiness Preparation (Academic Competencies)
Skill Support
Essential Skills for the Workplace (Workplace Competencies)
Course Planner
Career Readiness Preparation (Academic Competencies)
Skill Support
Essential Skills for the Workplace (Workplace Competencies)
Course Planner
MYPATHWAY
Resource Directory
Network
Resource Directory
Network
Apprenticeship/ Bridge ProgramPost-Secondary/
TransitionCareer Technical
Training
Career Matchmaker + MySkills
Explore Careers
Explore Schools
Learning Styles
Inventory
Portfolio
Career Matchmaker + MySkills
Explore Careers
Explore Schools
Learning Styles
Inventory
Portfolio
CRC
About a century ago, H. G. Wells stated
“Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe”
Comments or questions . . .?
The Career Readiness Certificate in a Systematic Approach to Building Careers
Dr. Barbara Bolin Mitch Rosin President Editorial
Director
McGraw-Hill/Contemporary President www.nationalOCC.org
www.crcconsortium.org
804-310-2552
www.workforceeducation.com
www.workforceconnects.com
312-233-6727
TM