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Missouri and ACT WorkKeys

Partners in College and Career Success
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Partner with ACT to Ensure Missouri Students are the best success story yet

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approves ACT® WorkKeys® in the Performance section of the MSIP 6 APR Success-Ready Students* as an assessment of college and career readiness.  

For decades, WorkKeys has helped measure workplace skills that employers are seeking—preparing students for superior job performance and life beyond earning their diploma.

Offer your students the opportunity to earn the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®), recognized by more than 5,000 Missouri employers and 28,000 employers nationwide.

The WorkKeys NCRC is a portable, evidence-based credential that verifies three foundational skills necessary for workplace success. To date, more than 180,000 Missourians have earned a WorkKeys NCRC by completing and ranking scores in the Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents Assessments.

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* Refer to Appendix D of the MSIP 6 Comprehensive Guide to the Missouri School Improvement Program for more details on the college and career readiness assessment scores matrix. 

Get more information about offering WorkKeys to your students.

Why Offer WorkKeys?

Help your students stand out from the crowd by demonstrating to employers they have the foundational skills needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations. Research shows students are more likely to succeed in their HSE obtainment; pursue post-secondary training opportunities; and are more equipped to transition from education to workforce.  

WorkKeys: 

  • Provides learners a credential that demonstrates career readiness.
  • Gives learners a competitive edge with employers across the country.
  • Enables learners to realize the importance of their studies.
  • Improves learners’ success in entry-level and subsequent jobs.
  • Builds learners’ confidence.
  • Determines skill improvement and training needs.
  • Improves chances of better entry-level salaries through increased skills.
  • Shows prospective employers concrete proof of skills achieved.

Match Job Seekers’ Skills to In-Demand Careers

WorkKeys aligns to every career cluster and over 90% of the jobs in the U.S. today.  The WorkKeys system is aligned to every O’NET occupation. Identify the skill levels required across jobs, companies, or industries, or verify that students’ skills meet the needs of employers using our skills-based career navigation tool aligned with occupational profile benchmarks.

WorkKeys Skills-Based Career Navigation Toolkit

Award College Credit for NCRC Completion

Help Your Student Demonstrate College Competence with a WorkKeys NCRC

The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends that colleges and universities award up to six semester hours of college credit to an individual who earns the WorkKeys NCRC at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum level. Credit awards are at the discretion of each school. 

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How PLA and WorkKeys NCRC Combine Flyer

Grant Funds Available for WorkKeys Assessments

Key Details: 

  • Funding is available for public high schools, vocational schools (CTEs), and Workforce Development Boards.   
  • You’ll be reimbursed at a rate of $37.50 per student tested, plus any proctoring costs.   
  • The testing window runs from July 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025.   
  • Reimbursement requests must be received by May 15, 2025. 

Apply Here: WorkKeys Funding Application

 

ACT WorkKeys Support and the Missouri WorkKeys Team

WorkKeys Support is available at 800.967.5539 and workkeys@act.org

Ed Conard Adult Education/Workforce/Community Colleges edward.conard@act.org
Jerome Williams K-12 Districts and Schools jerome.williams@act.org

Cheri Hughes

 ACT Work Ready Communities cheri.hughes@act.org


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