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South Pacific Addresses Large Job Loss with KeyTrain® and WorkKeys®
American Samoa is developing plans to be more competitive in the global economy. Like the rest of the world this remote US Territory in the South Pacific is not insulated from economic challenges. The territory has a population of 65,000 and is facing a loss of over 2,000 jobs as a result of the pending shut down of several tuna canneries. The consequence: thousands of displaced workers, almost 3% of the territory’s population, who need to transition to employment elsewhere. Territory officials see WorkKeys and KeyTrain playing a key role in repurposing their workers.
With so much at stake, it is critical that the territory has a successful implementation of KeyTrain and WorkKeys. In support of this goal, Stan Brodka of KeyTrain visited American Samoa and subsequently, Sal Poloai, Dean of American Samoa Community College, was dispatched to the US to learn KeyTrain, WorkKeys, and best practices related to the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
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Illinois Users Group Highlights Partnerships and Results
Approximately 100 educators, workforce professionals and business partners gathered in Elgin, IL for the annual WorkKeys/KeyTrain Users Meeting on September 15th. This year’s meeting featured a variety of presentations with subject matter pertinent to colleges, high schools, workforce development, economic development, and business. Throughout the day, presenters discussed the tenets of their successful efforts, including key partnerships and careful planning.
The meeting opened with Dr. David Sam, President of Elgin Community College, highlighting the 1,000 Worker Initiative, a new collaboration between the Elgin Chamber of Commerce, Elgin Community College, United Way of Elgin, Gail Borden Public Library, Illinois Department of Employment Security, River Valley Workforce Investment Board, City of Elgin and School District U-46. The initiative has set a goal of issuing the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) to 1,000 people in the Elgin Community.
In a very strong showing of support from employers, representatives from Berner Foods, Fabric Images and Hoffer Plastics discussed why they are now recognizing the National Career Read. Steve Kneubuehl, CEO of Berner Foods in Freeport, IL showed how they have quickly developed partnerships with Highland Community College and the River Valley WIB to promote WorkKeys and KeyTrain. Berner Foods now includes the NCRC on their employment application. Pat Hayes, Owner of Fabric Images explained how he is spending time reaching out to other businesses in Illinois to promote the NCRC.
A panel of high school and college educators from the Waubonsee area of Illinois discussed the progress of WorkKeys and KeyTrain implementation. Roger Sanders, Program Specialist at VALEES, detailed the planning and implementation for the twenty schools in their service area.
>>FULL ARTICLE>>
KeyTrain Featured as Part of YES Program in Georgia
 A unique deployment of KeyTrain, as part of the YES Program, was recently featured in The Union-Recorder. The Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program is a partnership between Baldwin High School and Central Georgia Technical College focused on work ready skills. Julie Cook, head of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Work Ready initiative is working to better prepare students for work readiness.
According to Cook:
“KeyTrain is an invaluable tool for working with my high school students in the YES Program. It provides me with a reliable way to establish a benchmark of foundational skills, engaging lessons to assist the students in reaching their yearly goals, certificates that provide positive reinforcement when goals are met, and a number of reporting options for student and program evaluations. The success of the 2010-2011 YES Program was truly amazing. I contribute a great deal of this success to our use of KeyTrain.”
>>See the full article from the Union Recorder>>
Employer Practices, WIA Results and Educational Programs are at the Forefront of the Tennessee NCRC/Career Ready 101 Users Group Meeting
The passion for the NCRC program was hard to miss as educators, employers, WIA staff, and state agency personnel came together recently in Nashville for the 2nd Annual Tennessee National Career Readiness Certificate and Career Ready 101 Users Group Meeting. Nearly 100 people visited the Tennessee Technology Center in Nashville for this important event. The spirit of partnership and coopera tion was in the air with solid representation from the Tennessee Technology Centers, WIA regional staff from around the state, secondary education staff and business leaders.
Featured in the meeting were: employer results, WIA programs, the Tennessee Technology Centers, the ACT Employer handbook, and more....
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Meet KeyTrain - Rick Harris
If you have been involved with WorkKeys and or KeyTrain for a while you may have met Rick Harris. While Rick focuses his sales and training activities in Louisiana, Michigan, and Mississippi, he is well-known across the country as one of KeyTrain's best and most experienced trainers. He has trained instructors and administrators on usage and implementation of KeyTrain and Caree r Ready 101 in hundreds of sessions over the past 11 years from West Virginia to Hawaii and in between.
Rick has a strong passion for the workforce development efforts that we are engaged in at KeyTrain and demonstrates that in an often humorous and entertaining way while conducting training and doing presentations.
Rick joined KeyTrain in 1999 making him one of the longest standing affiliates with the organization. His vast array of talents come from a broad background in sales, technology and training and he often known for having every gadget as it is released. He made President Sheila Boyington the whistle pictured here with his lathe and asked her to blow that when KeyTrain sales are made. We love to hear that whistle blow!
In addition to various other technology certifications, Rick has earned a Platinum National Career Readiness Certificate.
You can meet Rick at the upcoming Michigan NCRC Conference in Lansing, MI (October) or the ACTE Annual Conference and Career Tech Expo in Las Vegas (December).
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