GED + NWRC + WE = EMPLOYMENT

Presented by…Mark ColeMary HillRegina PapaFMS Workforce Solutions System

The National Work Readiness Credential

A New Customer Service Indicator

Requirement of Out of School Youth Participants:

30% or more will take the NWRC exam

The LWIA will achieve a pass-rate of 50%

The Carrot and the Stick

The Carrot: $$$ Incentive Eligibility Standard if the LWIA achieves 100% or greater of their goal.

The Stick: Unsatisfactory Performance if the LWIA does not achieve at least 80% of their goal. No financial penalty, only a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

Why FMS Chose the Carrot

$$$ is a great incentive for us

Pride in what we do, desire to be a role model, develop a best practice

Some programming was already in place

Already in Place

GED Program in All Three Centers

Local Work Readiness Certificate Program

Incorporating the NWRC

Become a Licensed Site Three Centers, three sites

Train and Certify Proctors Three Centers

Our Personal Game Plan

Purchased Curriculum

Determined Time Frame – free vouchers came with a time limited offer!

Developed a Schedule - across all three Workforce Solutions Centers

Our First Success with NWRC

94% of those youth we initially tested passed the first time 100% had passed after the second try

We exceeded our LWIA goal

Our first customer success story

Renata’s Story

My name is Renata, I am a mother of twin boys . I am a student at the Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie Counties Workforce Solutions Center to get my GED & I recently participated in the National Work Readiness Program (NWRC). I took the exam & passed, it made me feel successful. I felt very unconfident at first & then I found out my scores & I couldn’t believe my eyes. I also recently applied to Dollar General and I had to take an assessment that was required for the job & it was very similar to the NWRC I took recently. This benefited me and I did very well and I had passed that too.

Thanks to the Work Readiness Credential I got the job! I felt so excited (still am) & I can’t wait to start my new job and start supporting my twins and I can have a fresh start in the work world.

Our Formula for Success

Pre-testing of candidates

Providing targeted instruction to those who did not pass the pre-test

Lessons learned from our first youth experience

What’s Next for Our Youth Program

Incorporating into our SYEP program

What’s Next for Our Youth Program

Implementing a pilot program that incorporates the NWRC into our already existing work experience program with our local businesses to compare workplace success of: those youth who had all three

components of our youth program with…

those youth who have not had these components

Expanding the Program to Include Adults and Dislocated

Workers

Why?

Customer demand

Some local businesses are now using this as a screening tool

Expanding the Program to Include Adults and Dislocated

Workers

How?Same basic recipe, but incorporating lessons learned

Offering at the end of the day, after hours

Utilizing previously trained and certified Youth staff but with DW and Adult $$

Additional lessons we learned

Next Step for NWRC: Increasing our Business’ Awareness

Why?

It is a nationally-recognized credential

It is portable from Business to business Area to area State to state

Next Step for NWRC: Increasing our Business’ Awareness

How?

Business Services Representatives

Chamber Newsletters

Programs with Service Organizations

How Can this Formula Work for You?

Questions and Answers