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ACT WorkReady Communities presenters outline credentialing program to align schools, colleges and employers
Summary
Presenters described ACT’s WorkReady Communities model — a voluntary, employer-linked credentialing system built on WorkKeys assessments and the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) — and answered legislators’ questions about equity, employer engagement and funding.
Representatives of ACT and its partners presented the ACT WorkReady Communities model at a Georgia legislative committee meeting, describing a voluntary, employer-linked credentialing system that uses WorkKeys assessments and the National Career Readiness Certificate to align K–12, technical colleges and employers.
The presenters said the program builds a “common language” around skills employers need and that communities use that data in site selection and workforce planning. "Workforce development is really hard," said Lewis Massey, a consultant with Impact Public Affairs, summarizing why a common criteria matters. Mary (last name not specified), an ACT representative, said, "We're not measuring what you know. We're not measuring your knowledge. We're measuring can you apply what you know to solving work based problems."
The presenters described the program's core assessments (applied math, graphic literacy and workplace documents), how scores map to NCRC levels (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) and reported national scope figures cited in the presentation: ACT has issued more than 6,000,000 NCRC credentials nationally and said more than 30,000 employers nationally recognize or use WorkKeys in hiring. Presenters said WorkReady Communities operate in 32 states and that counties join voluntarily under a common set of criteria. The presenters highlighted a recent regional relaunch in Central Georgia involving 11 counties and said Pulaski County had become a certified county ahead of the program’s recent summit.
Legislators pressed presenters on equity and employer engagement. Representative Kim Scofield asked how the program ensures equitable certification for underserved communities and how employers are brought into the initiative. Mary said ACT’s recent third‑party analysis found WorkReady Communities serve many higher‑need populations — including Black, Hispanic, first‑generation and high‑poverty communities as well as adults exiting correctional facilities — and noted examples of metro implementations that targeted ZIP codes. On employer engagement, presenters said outreach typically focuses on a mix of chambers, economic development groups and workforce boards; they also coach communities to identify strategic employers by current job volume and growth prospects.
On funding, presenters said local funding mixes vary: some communities combine local resources, formula federal funds (for example Perkins or workforce formula dollars), employer contributions or state executive support. A committee member asked for the third‑party analysis; presenters agreed to provide the report to the committee.
The presentation included examples of community benefits that presenters attributed to the credential system: reduced turnover, higher placement rates and improved alignment between curriculum and employer needs. Presenters also demonstrated a public website (workreadycommunities.org) that they said lists participating counties, employer partners and certificate counts used in site selection.
The presenters fielded additional questions from committee members and invited follow‑up; no formal committee action on the program was taken at the meeting. Committee leadership said the committee will hear a Department of Labor update and additional bills at a subsequent meeting.
