FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2013) – An important education and workforce credential test will be free to eligible Kentuckians on a first-come, first-served basis through June 15 or until funds are expended.
Testing to earn a National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC) is for veterans, persons with disabilities and anyone who has been unemployed for more than 26 weeks. The assessments are sponsored by the Department of Workforce Investment, an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
NCRC is a national certification that indicates work readiness by administering three WorkKeys assessments: applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information. These specific workplace skills are needed in 77 percent of all jobs profiled for WorkKeys testing.
The certificate allows business partners to increase productivity through turnover prevention and promotion selection. By using NCRC, employers can give their current and future workforce incentive to improve their skills to be eligible for more demanding and lucrative work.
“NCRC is the quantifiable tool that allows employers and economic developers to measure terms like, ‘we need a qualified workforce’ into a credential that means the same thing in Bowling Green, Ohio; Bowling Green, Virginia; and Bowling Green, Kentucky,” said Beth Brinly, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Investment.
Eligible individuals can obtain free NCRC testing through local One-Stop Career Centers. This offer is time and space limited, so those interested should schedule through one of these testing locations before June 1 and should request a “free NCRC.”
To find a One-Stop Career Center, visit www.oet.ky.gov/des/wis/wfservices.htm.
NCRC is a division of ACT, the college-readiness test given in Kentucky and other states. For more information, go to www.nationalcareerreadiness.org.
