WORK CERTIFIED

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WORK CERTIFIEDEnhancing the Spirit of
Americas Workforce
Administered by the Washington Greene County Job
Training Agency, Inc.
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Mission

• To ensure a Quality Workforce by providing
  basic skills and business ethic training
  opportunities to employers and certifying
  agencies so that jobseekers can obtain the skill
  standards and Certification to become more
  employable, retainable and promotable in the
  workforce.

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Work Certified
A PROGRAM CREATED BY EMPLOYERS FOR EMPLOYERS
AND THE JOB SEEKER BENEFITS

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History

• In 1999, the National Skill Standards Board
  canvassed all workforce boards regarding use of
  skill standards for WIA
• In 2000, NSSB identified Treasure Coast workforce
  regions as providers of skill standards solutions
  and competencies for Work Readiness Skills
• In 2006, the WGCJTA, Inc. purchased Work
  Certified to incorporate the curriculum into its
  everyday services
• Immediate positive results were seen in the Work
  Certified participants and praise was heard from
  employers that hired these individuals

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Curriculum
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Program Modules

• Reading Comprehension
• Business Tools (Computers plus)?
• Pre-employment
• Customer Service
• Business Writing
• Job Skills I (Work Maturity)?
• Job Skills II (Employability)?
• Business Math
• General Business Knowledge
• 90 Hr Training - Master 50 Competencies

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Reading Comprehension

• 9 hours
• Pre-assessment test 80 - 8th grade level
• Waiver

• TOPICS
• Reading for main idea
• Reading between the lines
• Following simple instructions
• How employers interpret resumes

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Business Tools

• Computer
• 12 hours
• Waiver

• TOPICS
• Word Processing
• Internet/e-mail
• Using Spreadsheets
• Using a fax/photo copy machine

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Pre-Employment

• 6 hours
• Waiver

• TOPICS
• Job search methods
• Resume preparation
• Complete job applications
• Interviewing skills - Presentation

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Customer Service

• 12 hours
• Required course

• TOPICS
• Differences between good and bad customer service
• Customer service profitability
• Customer perceptions
• Service attitudes
• Recognizing what the customer is saying

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Business Writing

• 9 hours
• Pre-assessment 80 or better
• Waiver

• TOPICS
• Writing basics
• Choosing words
• Using proper grammar
• Reducing sentence clutter
• How to write a customer letter
• Memo
• Business letter

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Job Skills I

• 12 hours
• Employability/Work Maturity
• Business code of ethics

• TOPICS
• Work Place Basics (Employer Expectations)?
• Profit motive of business
• Proper dress for the workplace
• Uniforms and safety equipment
• How lifestyle impacts work
• Importance of learning on the job and continued
  education
• Ethical problems for business

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Job Skills II

• 12 hours
• Advanced Work Maturity
• Required

• TOPICS
• Workplace diversity
• Importance of taking control of your life
• Role of a Team leader
• Rules for communicating with a supervisor
• How to report results
• The process for resolving problems at work

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Business Math

• 12 hours
• Pre-assessment 80 or better Waiver

• TOPICS
• Basic Math review
• Decimals
• Quantity discount word problems
• Line, pie and bar graphs

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General Business Knowledge

• 6 hours
• Required
• TOPICS
• Business structures and legal responsibilities
• Financials (reading an income statement and
  balance sheet)?
• Ones role in the company
• Profit motive
• Development of an Employee Action Plan
• Marketing

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Certification Requirements

• Universal Competencies (5)?
• Students must demonstrate proficiency throughout
  the entire program.
• No more than two excused absences.
• No more than three incidents of excused tardiness
  (late to class, leave early, elongated lunch,
  etc.)?

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Certification Requirements

• Must demonstrate proper grooming.
• Must demonstrate effective use of interpersonal
  skills when working with a supervisor by
  interacting respectfully and professionally with
  all instructors. Instructors are considered the
  students supervisors.
• Must demonstrate effective use of interpersonal
  skills when working with co-workers by
  interacting respectfully and professionally with
  all classmates. Classmates are considered the
  students co-workers.

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The Certification Test

• Administered by a third-party organization
• Proctored by a trained staff member
• Assessment is web based, which makes facilitating
  the test in our office possible
• Participants must achieve a 80 score on the test
  to become Work Certified

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Certification
To ensure all required aspects of
certification programs were met, the National
Skill Standards Board was consulted throughout
the development and implementation of the Work
Certified Certification Program. NSSB
said This is the best (work readiness) program
in the country.
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Certification
Trainers
Instructors
Students
Train 90-hr class Train the Teachers Audit
Review Annual Meetings
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Online Database

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Who Uses Our Program?
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Employers Jobseekers

• Adults
• TANF/WIA
• Entry-level job seekers
• Dislocated Workers
• Returning Adults
• Young Adults
• Youth
• In-school
• Out-of-school
• Employers customized training

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National Statistics
96 of the graduates find employment within 30
days after graduation 89 are still employed six
months later 32 of the program graduates have
received promotions To date 2,500 members have
taken the Work Certified program with a 86
certification rate Presently we are averaging 300
tests a month
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Workforce Areas - National

• Michigan Works
• Man-Tra-Con, Illinois
• Will County, Illinois
• North East Texas Workforce Board, Texas
• New Bedford Workforce Investment Board,
  Massachusetts
• Southwest Corner Local Management Committee,
  Pennsylvania
• Tri-County Workforce Investment Board,
  Pennsylvania
• West Central Job Partnership, Pennsylvania
• Lawnwood Regional Medical Heart Institute,
  Florida
• Suncoast Workforce Board, Florida
• South Florida Workforce Board, Florida
• Brevard Workforce Development Board, Florida
• Palm Beach Alliance, Florida

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All About Youth
Work Certified Making It Happen!
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WC Youth Services

• Beneficial to both in-school and out-of school
  youth
• Preferable age 16 and older
• 14-15 years of age may require additional
  remediation skills
• -Reading Comprehension
• -Math
• -Pre-employment
• Eligibility Requirements 6-8th grade
• Reading Level A MUST!

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High School Endorsements
Kathie Schmidt - Director Career Technical
Education St. Lucie County School District
"Work Certified" is a comprehensive yet flexible
work readiness program that truly meets the needs
of our students.  Developed in
collaboration with  business and industry
partners, the program supports FCAT achievement
and compliments rigorous academic and technical
preparation with the skill setsrequired to get a
job, keep a job, and advance in today's high tech
career pathways."
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Why It Works - Southwest Corner

• Key Elements in Successful Program
• Classroom set up in a Work Environment
• Improves Self-Esteem Self Concept
• Returns to the Basics of Reading, Writing,
  Mathematics
• Team Building
• Accomplishment passing Final Exam

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Southwest Corner Benchmark Comparison
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WORK CERTIFIED - Partners
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For more information contact
Myra Bernhart Terri
Cooley-Taylor Corporate Manager
Corporate Supervisor
mbernhart_at_washingtongreene.org
ttaylor_at_washingtongreene.org Washington Greene
County Job Training Agency, Inc. www.washingtongr
eene.org www.workcertified.org 724-229-5083