Ask most Oregon businesses about the search for qualified, trainable employees, and they may tell you that it takes more than HR — it takes equal parts FBI and ESP. But the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is at work to change that.
The National Career Ready system of job analysis, employee skill-building, assessment, training and national credentialing is helping businesses take the guesswork out of hiring, and saving them time and money.
Endorsed by the Oregon Chamber of Commerce, Portland Business Association, Associated Oregon Industries, the Oregon Business Association, and the Oregon Business Council, and sponsored by the State of Oregon, WorkSource Oregon Employment Department as well as Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, and the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, the certification is currently available at NO COST to employers and jobseekers in selected areas including Bend.
Businesses can become partners to the CRC in two ways: they can specifically request and prefer it during hiring, training and promotion processes or they can require it as a qualification to get a job. To earn the credential a prospective employee must take three proctored assessments: Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics and Locating Information. These assessments are different than most others. They test the skills required for more than 85 percent of all jobs today, and offer workplace-based skills measurements that place incumbent or prospective workers on a common scale.
National data shows that the NCRC can give participating employers a competitive-edge as it:
• Reduces screening time – saving time by interviewing only the applicants with the skills required for a company’s jobs.
• Reduces employee turnover – assisting employees in attaining precisely the skills they need to thrive and move up within
an organization.
• Reduces employee training costs – Saving money and time by targeting training and development budget on employees with skill gaps.
• Protects the bottom line with a comprehensive, legally compliant (EEOC, ADA, and ISO) solution developed by ACT for selection, promotion, recruitment and training.
Many Oregon companies have already signed on as Employer Partner to the NCRC because it verifies applicants’ foundational job skills AND complies with the EEOC Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures. As Employer Partners, these businesses have committed to using the NCRC as an element of their hiring, training, and promotion practices. Their need for stronger applicant pools and a legally-compliant solution to meet hiring and promotion requirements are a strong impetus. But, in the current economic climate, a growing part of the story is how the NCRC helps with “career-laddering” for existing employees and with quickly sorting through mountains of applications to identify jobseekers with essential skills for success on the job.
To learn more about National Career Readiness Certificates, and how to set up your company to utilize the certificates, contact Greg Ford at 541-388-6495 or visit www.oregon.gov/CCWD/CRC/index.shtml.
