An effort by the Education and Industry Alliance 360 Partnership to improve the readiness of the Franklin County workforce has yielded certification as an ACT Work Ready Community.
According to information provided by ACT, a community’s certification as ACT Work Ready is based on current, transitioning and emerging workforce members earning an ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) and employers recognizing the ACT WorkKeys NCRC.
“The ACT WorkKeys NCRC is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys skills in workplace documents, applied math and graphic literacy — skills required for 77 percent of jobs based on ACT JobPro database,” reads a portion of the ACT Work Ready Community website.
Partners in the initiative include Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, Ozark High School, the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District and elected officials in Franklin County.
“This certification signifies the commitment of businesses and organizations in Franklin County to recognize and support the ACT WorkKeys initiative,” said Sarah Rodriguez, executive director of the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is a wonderful recruiting tool for hiring talented employees to fill skilled positions. It is also an asset companies look for when they are determining where to relocate or open new businesses.”
Franklin Country’s attainment of ACT Work Ready Community status marks the beginning of a two-year growth and maintenance phase to retain certification.
