Mar 28, 2012

NCRC assessment

Central Lakes College recently hosted an assessment for Lakeland Mold Company of Brainerd as the firm’s employees participated in the National Career Readiness Certificate workplace success initiative. Lakeland Mold is piloting the use of the NCRC as a tool for incumbent employee training needs and screening for qualified applicants for company job openings. The National Career Readiness Certificate, issued by ACT, is an industry-recognized, evidence-based credential that certifies essential skills needed for workplace success across all sectors of the economy. The credential measures cognitive skills such as problem solving, reading and using work-related text, applying mathematical reasoning to work-related problems, and comparing and analyzing information in multiple related graphs.
Over 17,000 careers have been profiled to determine the level of skills needed to succeed in each job.  Of those careers, 99% can be performed by someone at the Platinum level; 93% of those jobs can be performed at the Gold level; 67% at the Silver level; and 16% can be performed by someone at the Bronze level.
Lakeland Mold employees produced impressive results. They tested above the national and state averages for the certificate.  Of the 75 test takers 1.4% scored at Platinum level; 34% scored Gold; 60% scored Silver; and 4% scored Bronze.
The NCRC assessment is growing momentum as part of a regional initiative to better prepare the local workforce and predict employee success in growing industries.
Partners include Central Lakes College, the Department of Employment and Economic Opportunity, Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Brainerd Lakes Chamber Bridges Career Academies, Brainerd High School, and local employers such as Lakeland Mold who promote the NCRC as an effective strategy to ensure workplace success.
The NCRC is offered without charge to businesses and individuals in Minnesota.
Central Lakes College is piloting the NCRC in several career education programs.  All welding students and instructors at CLC have recently been NCRC certified. They have also scored impressive results.
“The NCRC is one way the college hopes to benefit its students by boosting their resumes with the seal of workplace-ready certification,” said Dr. Suresh Tiwari, vice president of academic and student affairs at CLC.
Lakeland Mold Company is a world recognized leader in the manufacture of cast and CNC aluminum tooling for the rotational molding industry.
For information visit www.lakelandmoldcompany.com.
For information on the NCRC visit www.act.org/certificate.
Businesses seeking more information should contact Trudi Amundson at trudi.amundson@state.mn.us
Individuals seeking more information should contact Sue Hilgart at sueh@rmncep.com