More than 300 people in the Chattanooga area have earned Career Readiness Certificates (CRC) through a program pioneered in Tennessee by the Chamber, Chattanooga State and the Southeast Tennessee Development District. The certificates assist displaced workers and other job seekers in finding employment. Serving as portable cre- dentials – like diplomas – the certificates ensure prospective employers that the holders have math, reading and informa- tion retrieval skills. "The certificates guarantee better quality job applicants since employers can verify a future employee’s skills before they are hired," said Mattie Moran, director of workforce development and education for the Chamber. "Using the information con- tained on the job applicant’s CRC, employers can also reduce hiring expenses and employ- ee attrition by making better job fits." The certificates are based on WorkKeys tests that the local Southeast Tennessee Career Center, other job placement agencies and area employers have used for several years. WorkKeys is a national job profiling, assessment and instruction support system that helps businesses
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300 in Chattanooga Can Show Work Skills Through Certificates
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Mattie Moran
identify skills and skill levels employees must have to perform jobs effectively. “The certificates, which are awarded based on the WorkKeys assessments, reflect the abilities
the holder possesses in math, reading and locating information – the skill areas which are most utilized at the workplace,”Moran said. At a Southeast Tennessee Workforce Investment Board luncheon in June, the CRC program received praise as a key component in the state’s array of efforts to help workers find jobs. Susan Cowden, an official with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said the nine-county Chattanooga CRC region has been a leader in introducing the CRC program, and plans call for the program to be extended to Nashville and other parts of the state. In more good news, Cowden said the Workforce Investment Act will provide Tennessee with about $56 million for job training and employment location services in the 2006-2007 fiscal year. |
