Local companies work to gain the title "Certified Work Ready" - KOAM TV 7

Local companies work to gain the title "Certified Work Ready"

An area business group hopes to beat a deadline to participate in a program intended to measure the skills of the area workforce.

The Workforce Investment Board wants to see Jasper and Newton counties declared "Certified Work Ready", a designation intended to encourage businesses to locate here.

Missouri is one of four states that is chosen to participate in a program intended to bring job security to employees and their employers.

This title will allow the Workforce Investment Board to prove to businesses  that the Jasper-Newton county area has a good work force.  That proof is proved by the number of employers and businesses that endorse the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).

The NCRC is a series of assessments employees take to determine their "work readiness" and skill level.

Able Manufacturing is one business that endorses the NCRC.  Able's director of Human Resources, Susan Adams, says using the NCRC helps in the hiring process.  She says it is more likely they would hire someone that has taken the assessment over someone that has not.

"When someone has their NCRS score or certificate attached to their application it tells me there are really serious in looking for a job, they want the employers to know exactly what skills they have and it makes it way easier to match the right person to the right job opportunity," says Adams.

There is no cost to take the NCRC.  All costs are prepaid through workforce grants.

The assessments are done through the Missouri Career Center Workforce System.

For more information visit http://www.workready.info/.