Work Eau Claire - A Regional ACT Work Ready Initiative

Working Goals

Eau Claire County is dedicated to closing the skill gap and improving economic development. ACT® Work Ready communities around the nation are doing just that! With the help of local businesses and job-seekers, Eau Claire is becoming the first county in Wisconsin to be ACT® Work Ready certified.

What is Work Eau Claire?

Work Eau Claire is a community project seeking to reach ACT “Work Ready” certification for Eau Claire County.

Certification is based on the “WorkKeys” assessment which measures individual “work-readiness” skill levels. Specifically, it is based on individuals’ achieving the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC,) via the WorkKeys assessments. As a result, the data “validates” these work skills within the county or region as a whole. Going further, it means that once achieved, Eau Claire will be designated nationally as a “work ready” community with validated and identifiable workforce skills.

Are there other benefits?

Yes! For students or workers, this skills identifier provides detailed information on their own specific skillset in the world of work. But equally important, for employers, it’s a guide* which can help to match skills with jobs in the workplace.

At the same time, once certified, Work Eau Claire will become the first-ever certified county in the State of Wisconsin!

*Scores may be used as a guide only. In order to require specific scores, employers must complete a “Job Profile.” Contact Work Eau Claire for more information on how to complete a Job Profile project at your place of work!

What is the NCRC?

An ACT national credential entitled the “WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®)” is a national credential and can be achieved by completing the “WorkKeys Assessments.” The topics include: Applied Mathematics, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.

Why is This Important?

Job-seekers, or current employees, earning the NCRC can use this national credential to enhance their job-seeking efforts! It identifies specific workplace skills which may help employers to more easily identify a good career “fit”.*

Is There More?

There is! Students who have completed the ACT WorkKeys® assessments may be eligible to attain free credits at Chippewa Valley Technical College. By reaching minimum score levels, students may be able to earn college credit for “Math Reasoning,” a popular math course for many programs at CVTC.

To find out how to apply for credit, contact Rob Ecker at cpl@cvtc.edu or 715.833.6327.

Does it End There?

Not at all! Businesses and employers benefit too because it helps them increase their success of matching the right skills to the right job! Because of this, assessment case studies at ACT have proven to increase overall work productivity and retention.

This can be a powerful resource for employers hoping to find resources to guide their hiring.*

Work Eau Claire in the News

Collaboration Offers Testing Date

Thanks to the generous support of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, the Covid-19 Task Force, CVTC, and Workforce Resource, Inc., a WorkKeys Assessment took place on August, 10, 2020. It was offered at a reduced rate of $20 through their generous support. Thank you!

Course Credit

By reaching minimum scores, students at CVTC may be able to gain credit for Math Reasoning. Numerous students have already taken advantage of this benefit!

CVTC Adds WorkKeys to Programs

Two programs at CVTC will be participating in the WorkKeys Assessment process. They include:

1) Culinary Management, and, 2) Library and Information Services. Students will graduate with both their degree diploma as well as WorkKeys scores showing their skills, or an NCRC designations.

Employer Support Metric Reached

Based on specific regional demographics of the workforce, a minimum of 68 employers are required to reach Work Ready certification. Work Eau Claire is pleased to report it has exceeded that number and now stands at 73 supporting employers. These businesses, located in the Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Dunn Counties, agree to “recognize” the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) at their place of business. Thank you, employers!

Emerging Workforce Category Metric Met

Made up of primarily high-school aged students, a minimum of 2,398 students must meet the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) credential. Work Eau Claire reports that an actual 4,365 students reached this skill-level status since the inception of the Work Ready effort. Congratulations to all students who have reached this important milestone!

*Scores may be used as a guide only. In order to require specific scores, employers must complete a “Job Profile.” Contact Work Eau Claire for more information on how to complete a Job Profile project at your place of work!