WorkKeys® is an industry-driven system of job profiling, assessment and instructional support that helps businesses identify the skills and skill levels employees must have to perform jobs effectively. It is a program of ACT, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that specializes in assessment and research.
A portable credential based upon the WorkKeys® assessments from ACT Inc. The KEC assesses in three different skill areas:
- Applied Mathematics
- Reading for Information
- Locating Information
These skill areas were chosen because they were the most utilized assessments in the Occupational profile database at ACT.
There are three different levels to the KEC:
- Gold - Candidate must score at a level 5 for the skill areas of Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information. If the candidate has these skill levels, they would qualify for 90 percent of the jobs contained in the ACT Occupational Profile Database
- Silver - Candidate must score at a level 4 for the skill areas of Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information. If the candidate has these skill levels, they would qualify for 70 percent of the jobs contained in the ACT Occupational Profile Database
- Bronze - Candidate must score at a level 3 for the skill areas of Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information. If the candidate has these skill levels, they would qualify for 30percent of the jobs contained in the ACT Occupational Profile Database
The KEC is endorsed by:
- The Kentucky Workforce Investment Board
- ACT Inc.
- Kentucky Community and Technical College System
- Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
- Council on Postsecondary Education
- Kentucky Association of Manufacturers
- Kentucky Association of Economic Development
- Kentucky Education Cabinet
- Kentucky Adult Education
- Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management
- Kentucky State District Council of Carpenters
To obtain a KEC, you must first take a WorkKeys® Assessment in the areas of Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Mathematics and achieve at least a Level 3 in all three assessments. If you don’t score at the appropriate levels, targeted instruction is available to help raise your skill levels. Job Profiling gives employers the opportunity to improve their businesses by using assessments and instruction specific to their needs.
There is a method for getting a KEC that is just right for you. You can enroll at a KCTCS college near you, an adult education center in your community or your local Kentucky One-Stop Center.
The KEC is new, but thousands of companies across the United States and Canada have experienced the benefits of WorkKeys®. A sample of Kentucky employers who are using WorkKeys® and the KEC include:
- Owensboro Mercy Health System-Owensboro
- Trus Joist- Hazard
- Paragon Door- Louisville
- Eagle Manufacturing- Florence
- Alcan Aluminum- Henderson
- Kimberly Clark- Owensboro
To find out if a specific company in your community accepts the KEC, contact your local KCTCS college.
With the KEC, employers can hire with confidence knowing that an employee or job seeker with a certificate has demonstrated mastery of job-related skills.
With a KEC, an employee/job seeker can demonstrate their skill levels to employers in a common language that is easily understood.
- All three assessments: Math, Reading and Locating Information $45
- KY Employability Certificate $10
- Total $55
WorkKeys® and the KEC are free services provided to Adult Education Learning Center Students.
Yes. Studies show that jobs requiring higher skills in math, locating information and reading pay higher entry-level salaries. In fact, skill levels appear to show a stronger correlation to pay than education levels. By increasing their skill levels, individuals increase their opportunities for higher salaries.
Not at all. The largest and fastest growing area of employers' interest in WorkKeys® is for professional, technical and managerial jobs requiring higher-than-average education levels. The second largest category is for skilled trade jobs. U.S. employers have commissioned WorkKeys® job profiles for more than 12,000 jobs, ranging from accountant to automotive technician and from welder to Webmaster.