Employers, community colleges, high school educators, and ACT WorkKeys partners all play a vital role in fostering connections that lead to stronger communities and brighter futures for postsecondary students who don’t choose a higher education path.
One critical way to enhance youth apprenticeships is by leveraging the tools and resources offered by ACT. The ACTWorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate and the free ApprenticeshipToolkit are instrumental in helping businesses and educators identify, develop, and prepare skilled students for meaningful career opportunities.
The ACT Apprenticeship Toolkit drives success
The ACT Apprenticeship Toolkit is designed to help launch, streamline, and optimize apprenticeship programs. It provides a step-by-step guide tailored for businesses, community leaders, and educators to build effective apprenticeship pathways. Some core benefits of the toolkit include:
- Tools to identify target skills: The WorkKeys Estimator and WorkKeys Job Profiling solutions provide employers and institutions valuable intel to establish skill benchmarks.
- Measurable targets to set a framework: Applying the ‘Good,’ ‘Better,’ ‘Best’ framework across all aspects of an apprenticeship helps to improve overall outcomes.
- Customizable benchmarks: Benchmarks aid educators and employers during the evaluation and selection process.
ACT WorkKeys levels up apprenticeship programs
Behind every successful apprenticeship program is a clear alignment of skills requirements. ACT WorkKeys helps ensure that alignment through a system of job skills assessments that help match candidates to the jobs for which they’re most qualified. Employers can use WorkKeys to:
- Identify baseline skills critical for specific apprenticeship roles.
- Gauge a candidate’s readiness with standardized assessments.
- Certify apprentices with WorkKeys NCRC, showcasing their competencies to potential employers.
The result? Stronger matches between organizations and apprentices that lead to higher completion rates, increased productivity, and long-term employment satisfaction.
Communities and companies are leading the way
States and companies using WorkKeys and striving to become ACT Work Ready Communities provide inspiring examples of how ACT resources can elevate apprenticeship initiatives. These communities focus on preparing their workforce with foundational skills to meet regional economic needs. With ACT WorkKeys and NCRCs, they’re building a pipeline of job-ready candidates.
For instance:
Textron Aviation, Wichita, Kansas: Textron Aviation recently opened a $40 million Career & Learning Center at its East Wichita campus, where candidates take ACT WorkKeys assessments to assess their skill sets as part of the onboarding process.
Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, Texarkana, Arkansas: The Texarkana Chamber of Commerce recently partnered with local schools and businesses to increase awareness of the NCRC and its benefits. It’s working toward becoming a certified ACT Work Ready Community.
These efforts demonstrate how ACT’s tools and resources aren’t just beneficial for individuals but transform entire communities by creating stronger, more prepared workforces.
How to get started
If you’re an employer, educator, or ACT WorkKeys partner, there’s no better time than now to explore how ACT can support your apprenticeship initiatives. A great starting point is by:
- Downloading the free ACT Apprenticeship Toolkit to access actionable steps and best practices.
- Incorporating ACT WorkKeys into your apprenticeship assessments and planning.
- Connecting with an ACT Work-Ready Community near you to learn about their proven strategies.