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Finding qualified candidates is a challenge for both employers and colleges. What if there were a way to bridge the gap between classroom learning and job performance? That’s where the ACT WorkKeys® program steps in. WorkKeys is a comprehensive initiative designed to prepare individuals for success in the workplace. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

1. Real-World Skill Focus

WorkKeys assessments are built around practical, job-relevant skills like applied technology, business writing, and essential skills. These aren’t abstract academic tests; they reflect the actual tasks people face on the job. In fact, a recent ACT research study reported that a vast majority of students surveyed feel that they would be better prepared for college and the workplace with courses focused on developing essential skills.

Education is about more than grades or degrees — it’s also about equipping students with the tools they need to excel in life and work. Over the years, the spotlight on "essential skills" (formerly referred to as social-emotional learning or SEL) has intensified, and for good reason. These skills, encompassing traits like grit, teamwork, resilience, curiosity, and leadership, are critical for personal growth and professional success. We have conducted pivotal research to understand how essential skills can bridge gaps in preparedness, benefiting students’ academic journeys and eventual entry into the workforce.

What are essential skills?

Essential skills are the foundational traits and behaviors that influence how individuals think, act, and respond to challenges. These traits can be cultivated through formal education, life experience, and intentional development programs. For this research, the essential skills examined include the following key qualities:

• Grit – Persistence, goal orientation, and diligence in achieving objectives.
• Teamwork – Collaboration, empathy, and trust when working with others.
• Resilience – Effective stress management and the ability to bounce back after setbacks.
• Curiosity – Openness to new perspectives, creativity, and a willingness to learn.
• Leadership – Optimism, assertiveness, and the ability to inspire and influence others.

These skills are universally applicable, shaping everything from relationships to classroom and workplace behavior. Many employers have now expressed the need to prioritize candidates who demonstrate these transferable traits.

The growing importance of essential skills

Our research highlights the key role that essential skills play in both education and employment. Reports from the World Economic Forum indicate that seven of the top 10 core skills needed in today’s workforce are closely linked to key attributes such as collaboration, adaptability, and resilience. But why does this matter?

Here’s a breakdown of what our surveys revealed about students’ perceptions of these skills' importance:

High school students

By: Jeff Schiel, ACT lead research scientist

In today’s classrooms, the buzz of a smartphone notification isn’t just a distraction — it might be detrimental to high school students’ performance on the ACT test.

New ACT research investigated the relationship between classroom smartphone distractions and a student’s performance on the ACT math and science tests. These findings come amid a flurry of state-wide smartphone bans across the country, with many policymakers hoping to boost academic performance and student engagement in classrooms. In fact, half of all states are considering an outright ban or other smartphone regulation in schools.

Students distracted by smartphones performed worse on the ACT math section

So, how exactly are classroom smartphone distractions related to students’ subsequent performance on the ACT math test? ACT’s recent study found that the average ACT math score of students who reported they were almost always distracted by their phones in math classes (20.3) was 2.5 points lower than the average score of students who were never or almost never distracted by their phones (22.8).

Our research found similar results for students who were distracted by their peers’ smartphone use. The average ACT math score of students who reported they were almost always distracted by other students’ smartphones in math classes (20.5) was 2.3 points lower than the average score of students who were never or almost never distracted by other students’ smartphones (22.8).

Anxiety also plays a role in math performance

Smartphones aren’t the only factor linked to lower scores. ACT’s research also found a strong connection between math learning anxiety and ACT math performance.

Our research revealed a significant difference between students with relatively low anxiety about learning math and those with relatively high anxiety. Students with high anxiety had an average ACT math score of 19.2, while students with low anxiety had an average score of 24.6 — a difference of more than 5 points

The impact extends beyond math

These patterns held true for science performance, as well. As the frequency of distractions in science classes increased, ACT science scores typically decreased. The average ACT science score of students who reported that they were never or almost never distracted by their own smartphones in science classes (23.6) was higher than that of students who reported that they were almost always distracted (21.6).

Similar results were observed when examining students’ anxiety about learning science. Students with relatively low science learning anxiety had an average ACT science score of 25.2, which was significantly higher than that of students with relatively high anxiety (22.0).

It’s important to acknowledge that classroom culture matters

These findings underscore an important truth: Learning environments can shape students’ individual success and academic outcomes.

At ACT, we know that preparing students for success goes beyond academics. It includes equipping students with the lifelong skills and strategies they need to navigate challenges, build resilience, and thrive in and out of the classroom. That includes:

• Reducing distractions with realistic and enforceable classroom technology policies — approaches rooted in student engagement that foster meaningful relationships with education and technology.
• Supporting mental health with services and curricula that help students manage self-esteem and well-being and building rapport with peers and educators, so students feel safer and more comfortable about their learning anxiety.
• Promoting digital responsibility and teaching students to maximize tech-free times and finding a balance in and out of the classroom.

Promising models and data already exist

In a recent study conducted by ACT, essential skills like sustaining effort, getting along with others, maintaining composure, keeping an open mind, and social connection were shown to have a consistent and positive association with students’ academic and career success.

Interested in learning more? Explore ACT’s latest research: “How ACT Math Performance Is Related to Classroom Smartphone Distractions and Math Anxiety.”