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Kathy Conklin
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Erin Kauth
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Cathy McCafferty- Smith
Ann Stanton
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Randy Walden
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Resource Library

 

Our Mission

We are working together to make:

  • The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) our common skills credential
  • WorkKeys our common skills language
  • Michigan the number one state in the country in terms of certificates per capita

Want to get involved?

We have regional implementation teams that cover all 83 counties in Michigan. Click here to see a list of the Michigan NCRC Advocates board members. Call or email the board member nearest you to find out how to connect. Or, Sign Up here to receive our email newsletters.

 Calendar of Events
4/22/2010 10:00 AMMI NCRC Advocates Board MeetingIngham ISD
7/22/2010 10:00 AMMI NCRC Advocates Board MeetingIngham ISD
10/20/2010 2:00 PMMI NCRC Advocates Board MeetingLansing
10/21/2010 7:30 AMMichigan NCRC Conference - Day OneLansing
10/22/2010 7:30 AMMichigan NCRC Conference - Day TwoLansing
1/20/2011 10:00 AMMI NCRC Advocates Board MeetingIngham ISD

 Announcements
Michigan NCRC Conference - October 2010 
by Bill Guest		 2/16/2010 7:38 AM
 
Michigan Ranks #3 in Top 10 States for CRCs 
by Bill Guest		 11/14/2009 8:07 AM
 
SB-1107 Adds Third WorkKeys Test to Michigan Merit Exam 
by Bill Guest		 8/7/2008 1:35 PM
 
CLEG Unanimously Approved the NCRC for Michigan 
by Bill Guest		 6/9/2008 11:47 PM
 
 

Employer Engagement News

Employer engagement is documented with a Letter of Commitment (LOC). Click here to view an on-line interactive list of employers by county that have signed an LOC. Following are some key employer engagement tools.
ACT NCRC Employer Handbook
Employer Engagement The Key to Sustaining the NCRC Don Carstensen
Employer Letter of Commitment (LOC) Form
Employer Presentation NCRC
Employer View - Hard to Find Skilled Workers - ATT CEO
Employer_Engagement_Don_Carstensen_May_2009
Illinois Manzullo Announces Plan to Support WorkKeys
Illinois Manzullo Seeks 200K for Job Training
NCRC Coming to Michigan Presentation
NCRC Employer Outreach and Sales Process
Poster NCRC Testing Sites in WM
US Manufacturing Council Recommendations Background
US Manufacturing Council Recommendations Letter
WorkKeys Job Analysis Options
WorkKeys ROI Study Metrics
 

Employer Experiences

Brief summaries of employer experiences in Michigan can be found in the Employer Experiences folder in the public documents section of the website. Click here for National WorkKeys case studies. Following are some of our local favorites:
Press Clip MiBiz 6-23-08
 

Implementation Team Documents

This section contains links to download documents that describe the organization and leadership of our regional implementation teams. There are also links to documents that will be helpful to team members as they work to accomplish their goals.
ACT Job Profilers Public List
ACT Registering Your Certificate Quick Start Guide
Implementation Team Handbook
Implementation Team Leaders Guide
Implementation Teams Leadership Matrix
Map 2009 NCRC Regional Teams
MI NCRC Implementation Team Short-term Goals
MI NCRC Implementation Teams Bill Guest
MI NCRC Sign Up Flyer Double
MI NCRC Sign Up Flyer Single
MI NCRC Website Dashboard Analytics by Google
MI NCRC Website USA Visitor Analysis by Google
NCRC Coming to Michigan Brochure
NCRC WorkKeys WM Business Case April 2008
Resolution NCRC WorkKeys MMIT
Schedule of 2008 Implementation Team Meetings
Schedule of 2009 MI NCRC Regional Team Meetings
SOW 2008 MI NCRC Metrics
SOW 2008 MI NCRC Statement of Work
 

Skill Building Tools and Results

KeyTrain is our skill building curriculum partner. We need to "skill up" our Michigan workforce. This section contains information about effective methods and best practices for skill building with KeyTrain. For more information contact KeyTrain at info@keytrain.com or call 877.842.6205. Click here to register for the weekly webcast.
Chicago Public Schools Model, November 2007
KeyTrain and the NCRC
Performance Results - Compelling Data Documenting Learning Outcomes
Student Credentialing Using KeyTrain and WorkKeys
WorkKeys Training Chicago Style and Kent ISD, May 2006
 
About this Website
 
This website was paid for in part by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration via the West Michigan WIRED grant.
 
We welcome your feedback and suggestions to improve this site. Please call 616.430.0828 or email Bill Guest with any questions or comments.
 
 

First visit to our site?

Start with these documents:
ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Flyer
ACT Registering Your Certificate Quick Start Guide
Michigan NCRC KeyTrain Flyer
NCRC Brochure Stand Out From The Crowd
NCRC Brochure Stand Up For A Skilled Workforce
NCRC Brochure Take A Stand
NCRC Coming to Michigan Brochure
NCRC Coming to Michigan Presentation
NCRC Core Assessments Brochure
Occupational Opportunities Brochure
 
 
Sign-up to receive: (1) our monthly eNewsletter, (2) email invitations to informational meetings in your region, and (3) notices of funding opportunities.

Public Service Announcement featuring David Hollister to air on Mid-Michigan cable networks.

"In the 1950's, ACT created a nationally recognized credential for college entrance.  Now, we're doing the same thing for America's workforce."

- Richard L. Ferguson, CEO and Chairman of the Board, ACT
 

Our Favorites from ACT

ACT provides numerous publications to assist educators and workforce development professionals. We listed a few of our favorites here to save you time searching for the best-of-the-best on the ACT website.
ACT Activity Reprint Michigan Story Autumn 2008
ACT CRC Guide for Policy Leaders
ACT National Career Readiness Certificate Brochure
ACT NCRC Employer Handbook
Employer_Engagement_Don_Carstensen_May_2009
Michigan NCRC Employer Handbook February 2010
Michigan NCRC video overview of the NCRC (5 minutes)
National WorkKeys Scores vs National Profile 2008
NCRC Brochure Stand Out From The Crowd
NCRC Brochure Stand Up For A Skilled Workforce
NCRC Brochure Take A Stand
NCRC Core Assessments Brochure
Occupational Opportunities Brochure
Personal Skills Assessments
Ready for College and Ready for Work - Same or Different
Stand Up for a Skilled Workforce
The Fourth R - Retrieval - Locating Information
WorkKeys Innovations A Holistic Solution
WorkKeys ROI Study Metrics
WorkKeys Scale Score Interpretation Guide
WorkKeys Targets for Instruction - Applied Mathematics
WorkKeys Targets for Instruction - Locating Information
WorkKeys Targets for Instruction - Reading for Information
 

Our Favorites from KeyTrain

Helpful information from KeyTrain:
KeyTrain Career Readiness Certificate Guide
KeyTrain Certify Our Youth Program
KeyTrain in Businesses
KeyTrain in Colleges
KeyTrain in Corrections
KeyTrain in Schools
KeyTrain in Workforce Development
KeyTrain Product Brochure (14-Pages)
KeyTrain Product Flyer (1-Page)
KeyTrain Results with At Risk Students
KeyTrain Results with High School AYP
KeyTrain Student Tip Sheet
KeyTrain Tools for Carl Perkins Programs
Michigan NCRC KeyTrain Flyer
 

 Helpful Links
  Advocates
Preview the new home page of the NCRC Advocates
  NCRC Video
ACT's video overview of the NCRC (5 minutes)
  Stand By Me
Stand By Me Video
  NCRC Audio
WKAR Clip - Mark Bashore covers the NCRC (3 minutes)
  Paul Bergan
Inside Michigan Education - CTE and the NCRC
  Sherrie Gibson
WorkKeys Helps Michigan Woman Turn her Life Around
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - JUL 2008
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - AUG 2008
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - SEPT 2008
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - OCT 2008
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - NOV 2008
  Newsletter
The Michigan NCRC Advocates Newsletter - DEC 2008
  My WorkKeys
Candidates request your certificates here.
Employers validate certificates here.
User Guide in the Implementation Team section
  ACT NCRC
The ACT National Career Readiness Certificate.
  ACT WorkKeys
WorkKeys System - Help Line 1-800-967-5539
  NCRC News
The NCRC in the News on the ACT Website
  JobPro
Learn more about ACT's Job Profile Database
  NAM SCS
NAM Skills Certification System
  KeyTrain
KeyTrain - Educational Software Aligned to WorkKeys
  KeyTrain
Sign Up for KeyTrain Webcast held every Wed at 8:15
  KeyTrain
The KeyTrain Report, National KeyTrain News, 2008-3
  Alabama
Career Ready Alabama
  Alaska
Alaska Career Ready Program
  Arkansas
Arkansas Dept of Workforce Services
  Florida
Florida Ready to Work Program
  Georgia
Georgia's Certified Work Ready Program
  Indiana
Northern Indiana's WorkOne Program and WorkKeys
  Kentucky
The Kentucky Employability Certificate
  Louisiana
The Louisiana WorkReady Certificate
  Michigan
Michigan Council for Labor and Economic Growth (CLEG)
  Missouri
Missouri's Career Readiness Certificate
  New Mexico
New Mexico's Career Readiness Cretificate
  North Carolina
North Carolina's Career Readiness Certificate
  Oklahoma
Oklahoma's Career Readiness Certificate
  South Carolina
South Carolina's NCRC Program
  Tennessee
Tennessee's Career Readiness Certificate
  Virginia
Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate
  Wyoming
Wyoming's Career Readiness Certificate Announcement
  Literacy Crisis
Grand Rapids Literacy Crisis and Literacy Council Action
  WMSA
West Michigan Strategic Alliance
  MI Education
Michigan Education Information
  MI ISDs
Directory of Michigan Intermediate School Districts
  MI CCs
Michigan Community College Association
  MI MWAs
Michigan Works! Association
  MI Maps
Maps of Michigan Cities and Regions
  Grad. Rates
Education Week's High School Graduate Rate Maps
  ABC News
From "A Nation at Risk" to "A Nation Way Behind"
  O*NET
Occupational Information Network
  The CRC
The New Exit Exam ... for Jobs by Inside Higher Ed
  Skills
National Skills Coalition
 

Michigan Reports

This section contains links to publications that are specific to Michigan that provide the context and background data for our work with the NCRC.
A New Agenda for a New Michigan June 2006
CLEG eNewsletter March 2008
CLEG MI NCRC Implementation Plan June 2008
CLEG Michigan's Workforce Strategies, March 2008
CLEG NCRC Summary Dec 2007
Coming Together in Tough Economic Times Policy Report
DELEG_PI_08-28_National_Career_Readiness_Certificate
DELEG_PI_09-12_Energy_Conservation_Apprentice_Readiness
Fixing the Leaky Pipeline - Adult Ed and Skills Training
Mapping Green Career Pathways in Michigan CSW Jan 2010
MEDA Accelerating Michigan's Economic Resurgence
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) Flyer
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) Spring 2007 Content Matrix
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) Spring 2007 WorkKeys Results
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) Spring 2009 Components Matrix
Michigan Scorecard 2008 Benchmarks for Michigan's Transformation
Michigan's Defining Moment Report JAN 2008
Michigans Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs OCT 2009
Michigan's Transition to a Knowledge Economy Policy Report
Michigan's Transition to a Knowledge Economy Progress Report
MLHS Labor Day Report 2008 Needs of Low-Income Workers
Perspectives Michigan Attitude on Educational Attainment
School Aid FY 2008-09 SB1107 Conference Report
School Aid FY 2008-09 SB1107 Sec 104 Pages 51 to 53
Thompson MTEC News DEC 2006
Transforming Michigans Adult Learning Infrastructure April 2009
Young Talent, How Michigan is Faring, July 2008
 

National Documents

This section contains links to publications that are national in scope that provide the context and background data for our work with the  NCRC.
A Survey of Work Readiness Certificates
ACT CRC Guide for Policy Leaders
Adult Literacy Policy
America's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs
Big Payoff Educational Attainment and Worklife Earnings
Building a Career Pathways System
CAEL_Building_Blocks_for_Building_Skills
Chamber Education Reform Report
Cities in Crisis Report on High School Graduation
Closing the Expectations Gap 2008
CTE's Role in Work Readiness Credentials
Employers Young Adults and Postsecondary Credentials
ICDL International Computer Driving License
ICW Skills Imperative How CTE Can Solve the Skills Shortage
Improving the Odds Preparing Washington Students
Lumina Foundation Big Goal for College Attainment
NAAL 2003, Literacy in Everyday Life, April 2007
NAM 2005 Skills Gap Report
NAM_People_And_Profitability_2009
National Fund for Workforce Solutions
NCES 2007-468 Nation's Report Card
NSC FY 2011 Budget Summary
Reach Higher America Overcoming Crisis in the Workforce
Ready or Not - Creating a High School Diploma that Counts
Really Ready to Work
Skills_Now_-_A_Case_for_Urgent_Action
Strengthening Community College Influence on Economic Mobility
The Future of Middle Skill Jobs FEB 2009
The Perfect Storm - ACT's Journey to the NCRC
Thrive - The Skills Imperative - Council on Competitiveness
Thriving_in_Challenging_Times_Career_Pathways
Tough Choices Tough Times
Working Together - Aligning Systems and Policy