he foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®) and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®. The ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC® is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math and graphic literacy – skills required for 77 percent of jobs based on ACT JobPro database.

By participating in ACT’s® Work Ready Communities initiative, counties, regions and states are helping:

• Business and industry know exactly what foundational skills they need for a productive workforce – and to easily communicate their needs
• Individuals understand what skills are required by employers – and how to prepare themselves for success
• Policy makers consistently measure the skills gap in a timely manner at the national, state and local levels
• Educators close the skills gap, via tools integrated into career pathways with stackable industry-recognized credentials
• Economic developers use an on-demand reporting tool to market the quality of their workforce