Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Hermann students received their National Career Readiness Certificates for successfully completing WorkKeys testing. Those pictured include (back row, left) Makena Mayberry, Courtney Anderson, Gregory Jacquin, Leighton Wright, Joseph Hanger, Travis Minks; (front row, left) Alexandria Coghlan, Kaitlin Rolfing, Cassidy Brautigam, Heather Hofmeister and Hunter Scheidegger. Not pictured is Claire Schneider.

ST. JAMES—Twelve students from the Hermann High School received their National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) for successfully completing the WorkKeys testing.  WorkKeys testing NCRC is just one part of a rigorous process that communities go through to become a Certified Work Ready Community (CWRC).

“WorkKeys testing allows you to document the skills you have – and at the same time – those you don’t have,” Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Executive Director Bonnie Prigge said. “This is the first step in closing the skills gap and improving workforce quality. Achieving the Certified Workforce Ready designation provides the documentation – if you will – for local economy developers to show new and expanding business and industries the great quality of our labor force.”

The Gasconade Valley Enterprise Zone (GVEZ), in partnership with MRPC secured grants from the Missouri Department of Economic Development (MoDED) to cover student testing and proctoring costs in Gasconade, Maries and Osage counties. Some 238 students in the three-county area received NCRC certificates this school year, including 12 in Hermann.

Missouri was selected in 2012 as one of four states to participate in the CWRC initiative by ACT. Specifically, benefits to CWRC certification include:

• Workers better understand what skills employers require and how to prepare themselves for success,
• Businesses can more effectively communicate their workforce needs to area education and workforce training programs,
• Educators have better tools for closing any skill gaps by establishing career pathways for students with stackable industry-recognized credentials, and
• Economic development organizations are better equipped with an on-demand reporting tool to promote the quality of their workforce.

Gasconade County has attained 89 percent of its goals to be CWRC. While it has met its NCRC numbers for emerging and current workers, Gasconade County still needs 23 unemployed persons to take the WorkKeys test and achieve the NCRC certification.

The ACT NCRC is the key measurement in Missouri’s CWRC initiative. Successful completion of ACT WorkKeys assessments in applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information can lead to earning an NCRC. NCRCs are a portable credential, earned by more than 3.6 million people across the United States. Currently, 84,000 Missouri residents hold NCRC credentials and 3,368 employers support hiring individuals who hold this credential.

For more information about CWRC and how to apply for certification, visit www.workreadycommunities.org/MO.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 25, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.