The Essential Skills Courseware (ESC) in WIN is a free online and/or classroom-based curriculum that reinforces attitudinal, behavioral, and applied competencies, which are exactly the “soft skills” most critical to success in today’s schools and workplaces. It provides rigorous, contextualized content designed to increase learners’ readiness for career and technical education, apprenticeship programming, employment placement and industry certifications. At the end of each course, the user has the opportunity to sit for the proctored Kentucky Essential Skills Certificate.

For employers, the WIN System is a no-cost online and/or face-to-face training system that helps employers train and assess attitudinal, behavioral, and applied competencies, which are exactly the “soft/essential skills” most critical to thrive in today’s workplace. The system’s training is career-infused instruction in the Essential Skills skillsets. This is a free professional development system comprised of training modules designed to increase the skills a user needs for successful employment.   

WIN Learning’s courseware and assessments are based on a compilation of prevailing employer-focused research including: U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET Job Zones Framework, the nation's primary source of occupational data; U.S. Department of Labor Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills report (SCANS); U.S. Department of Labor Building Blocks Competency Model; U.S. Department of Education Employability Skills Framework; National Network of Business and Industry Associations Common Employability Skills; and the Center for Literacy, Education and Employment Equipped for the Future standards.

​Kentucky Career Center

Office of Employer & Apprenticeship Services

500 Mero Street

Mayo-Underwood Bldg 4SE

Frankfort, KY 40601

kywin@ky.gov |  502-782-3035