Georgia Work Ready Initiative

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Georgia Work Ready Initiative
Overview of Work Ready Initiative
Presented by Fred McConnel, Work Ready
Coordinator Governors Office of Workforce
Development November 8, 2007
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Governors vision

• We need a workforce development system that links
  workforce development and education together and
  aligns to the economic needs of the state, its
  regions and local communities
• - Governor Sonny Perdue
• Feb. 20, 2006

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Georgia Work Ready Initiative

• Individuals
• Georgia Work Ready Certificate
• Foundation skills
• Personal skills (work habits)
• Businesses
• Job profiling for free if companies meet hiring
  criteria
• Economic development
• Certified Work Ready Communities
• Transforming Georgia
• Work Ready Regions

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How it works Work Ready Certificate
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The gold standard in skills testing
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Georgia Work Ready Certificate

• Three assessments
• Applied mathematics
• Reading for information
• Locating information
• Issue Certificate based on lowest level earned

WorkKeys Scores
Certificate
6s and above
Platinum
5s and above
Gold
4s and above
Silver
3s and above
Bronze
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Work Ready Certificate

• More than 9,000 Work Ready Certificates earned
• Ability to be trained
• Work Habits (Talent) now available at assessment
  centers

Goal 25,000 Georgians earn a Work Ready
Certificate every year
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Work Habits Assessment

• Work Habits Assessment is a development tool that
  measures work-related attitudes and behaviors
• Carefulness Goodwill Influence Optimism
• Order Savvy Sociability Vigor
• Cooperation Creativity Discipline Drive
• Soft skills that can be developed
• Available online at Work Ready assessment centers
• Optional, not required to earn Work Ready
  Certificate
• No Cost

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How it works Work Ready Job Profiling
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Work Ready job profiling overview

• Designed to help Georgia employers build the
  right workforces for their needs
• Allows Georgia employers to profile required job
  tasks and skill levels to more easily match
  candidates to job opportunities
• By comparing job profiles with individuals
  certification levels, companies can make reliable
  decisions about hiring, training and program
  development
• Profiling is conducted at no cost to those
  employers that meet minimum hiring criteria
• Profiling provided through technical colleges

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Job profile data

• More than 400 occupations profiled on Work Ready
  Web site - www.gaworkready.org
• Sample certificate levels
• Aircraft structure assemblers, precision Gold
• Home health aides Bronze
• Pharmacy technician Gold
• Truck driver Silver
• Companies throughout Georgia have profiled more
  than 320 jobs and many more are in the pipeline

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Service delivery
Georgias system of technical colleges support
Work Ready via their economic development
offices. The technical colleges administer
assessments, provide gap training and offer job
profiling services
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How it works Gap training
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Gap training targets for instruction
Reflects the skills required according to the job
profile
Reflects the job seekers certification level
Gap analysis shows how the person performed
relative to the bar. Training is available to
close any gap.
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Gap Training skills development

• Available to all Georgians
• Internet access for self-guided instruction
• Obtain access code from technical college
• Remediate at their convenience
• Adult education instructor led training at no
  cost
• Continuing education instructor led training for
  a fee

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Return on investment Business and industry
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Common language
Job Seekers
Business
Education
Work Ready Certificate can become a common
language between business and education
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Work Ready ROI to Georgia company

• Tyco Healthcare in Macon
• 250M revenue 546 employees
• Utilized WorkKeys assessment for production
  workers
• ROI
• 67 reduction in cost and time to hire qualified
  candidates
• 200 improvement in training entry level
  employees
• 30 improvement in production efficiency
• 6 reduction in waste

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Work Ready has a champion

• Georgia Power has agreed to become Business
  Champion for Work Ready

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How it works Certified Work Ready Community
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Certified Work Ready Communities73 Counties
Committed
Work Ready Program
Work Ready Certificate job seekers
Work Ready Job Profilingbusiness and industry
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How communities earn certification

• Specified percent of county residents
  successfully attain Work Ready Certification
• 3 percent of existing workforce
• 25 percent of available workforce
• Public high school graduation rate increase
• Determine how many additional students must
  graduate each year to achieve goal for the
  community
• Target at-risk students who, with intervention,
  will be able to graduate
• Use high school graduation coaches to identify
  these students and support them
• Demonstrate county-wide commitment to earning
  certification

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Work Ready Communities

• Goal
• Assist more than 94,000 Georgians to earn a Work
  Ready Certificate
• Assist more than 1,600 Georgia youth to earn a
  high school diploma

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Work Ready return on investment
260,000 X 1,600 students 416 million
additional income

• High school graduates earn approximately 260,000
  more over a lifetime compared with those who do
  not complete high school

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Certified Work Ready resources
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Certified Work Ready Communities data

• Available at www.gaworkready.org
• Located under Economic Development tab
• Batch county reports posted monthly
• Sample county report in handouts

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www.gaworkready.org
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How it works Work Ready Region
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Work Ready Regions
Certified Work Ready CommunitiesCounties
Work Ready Program
Work Ready Certificate Job Seekers
Work Ready Job ProfilingBusiness Industry
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Work Ready Regions

• 500,000 competitive regional grants will be made
  available to drive new thinking and develop
  talented regions
• Regions will use State Workforce Investment Board
  Strategic Plan as guideline

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Potential Work Ready Regions
Actual regions will be determined by grant
applicants based on common resources aligned to a
common strategic industry
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Next Phase

• Connecting with Job Seekers
• Technical college activation kit
• Support materials for DOL, local workforce boards
• Direct outreach to Georgians
• Team Leader support kits
• Connecting with Business and Industry
• Chamber activation kit
• Work Ready Summit for HR managers and supervisor
• Direct media outreach

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Next Steps

• Take the Work Ready assessment
• Contact local technical college to inquire about
  profiling and off-site assessments
• Begin communication with CWRC team
• Assist Work Ready Team to create a CWRC plan of
  action
• Make all 159 Counties Certified Work Ready
  Communities!

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