More than 20 years of prevailing career readiness skills research consistently identifies mastery of core communication, reasoning, and problem-solving skills as required or highly recommended for most jobs across occupations and industries. The research further defines the standards for those core skills as mathematical reasoning skills; reading, understanding, and interpreting workplace text; and interpreting data presented in charts, graphs, and similar workplace information. These are the standards that are the basis for the proctored Academic Skills Assessments that earn the National Work Readiness Credential – Academic Skills.
Research-Based
The WIN assessments are based on a compilation of prevailing employer-focused research including, but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET Job Zones Framework; U.S. Department of Labor Survey of Necessary and Comprehensive Skills (SCANS); U.S. Department of Labor Building Blocks Competency Model (Tiers 1-3); U.S. Department of Education Employability Skills Framework; National Network of Business and Industry Associations Common Employability Skills; and Center for Literacy, Education & Employment, Equipped for the Future standards. The assessments are criterion-referenced against an absolute standard or “criterion” for performance. Thus, the assessments measure mastery of specific learning objectives rather than comparing an individual’s scores to the performance of other test takers.
The Academic Skills Assessments have four Achievement Levels (2, 3, 4, and 5) that each correlate to an O*NET Job Zone. Each of the five Job Zones represents a group of occupations based on the education, training, and experience required, with Job Zone 1 occupations requiring the least amount of education and experience, and Job Zone 5 occupations requiring the most. Earning an Achievement Level 2 indicates that a learner has the foundational skills needed to pursue career pathways in Job Zone 2. Earning a higher Achievement Level indicates a learner's readiness to pursue career pathways in higher level Job Zones, providing them access to a greater percentage of occupational possibilities. Click here to learn more about how the assessments align to the O*NET Framework.
The National Work Readiness Credential – Academic Skills is endorsed by the National Work Readiness Council, a national nonprofit workforce development, training, and advocacy organization.
When learners pass the assessments, they can earn a digital version of their credential to share online. Digital credentials can be shared on social media and added to an online resume or portfolio.
WIN Learning: Leveraging O*NET to Bridge the Skills Gap
Download our white paper to learn more about how WIN's award winning courseware and assessment solutions align to the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET Content Model Framework and how this connection empowers learners and provides employers with workplace-ready job candidates.
