Improving Lives.Strengthening Communities. Workforce Skills for the Digital Age

Workforce Development

Without applicable skills, it becomes impossible for workers and communities to compete in the world marketplace. In today’s digital economy, computing and Internet skills are a vital component of an estimated 72 percent of U.S. jobs; yet only 13 percent of the adult workforce in the U.S. possesses the basic level of competency required to accomplish these daily job functions.*

No longer can employers evaluate job applicants solely on their level of education and corporate experience; today’s fast-paced work environments demand proof of ability. Digital skills are not only in high demand – they are essential to an individual’s ability to sustain success in the Digital Age.

For members of the workforce, digital literacy empowers them to succeed through:

Increased confidence to make career andlife choices previously unavailable

Acquiring real-world computing and Internet skills demanded in today’s workplace

Developing a fundamental knowledge of key technologies that acts as a gateway to other IT learning

As communities, digital literacy creates:

New opportunities for current and future economic development

A model for self-sustainability in a competitive world

Leverage to recruit potential employers to the community

In May of 2005, Cleveland, Ohio Mayor Jane L. Campbell launched the city’s 5-year “Computer

In May of 2005, Cleveland, Ohio Mayor Jane L. Campbell launched the city’s 5-year “Computer Learning in My Backyard (CLIMB)” initiative; offering technology training, financial literacy, and Certiport’s Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) to 30,000 low-income residents in the Cleveland area. As the world’s only globally recognized standard of digital literacy, IC³ was chosen to measure the success of the city’s ambitious undertaking.

“We believe the IC³ credential is an important validation of success for people completing this training program,” stated Mayor Campbell.

“Computer and Internet skills are no longer optional for success on the job. Our objective is to help close the digital skills gap for an important segment of our population that needs a helping hand. With these validated skills, new avenues for higher paying jobs will open up for program graduates and Cleveland will benefit by building a stronger online community of tech savvy residents.”

Certiport joined the City of Cleveland and its strategic partners in the largest ever citywide digital literacy initiative of its kind in the United States.

David Saedi, president and CEO of Certiport, said, “We praise the City of Cleveland’s leadership role in addressing the urgent need for better prepared workers with the computer skills vital for success in the Information Age workforce of the 21st Century...Those regions taking action now to address this workforce-development issue will thrive in the marketplace of tomorrow.”

Digital literacy is the key to success in the Digital Age.

THEIR STORY:

Cleveland’s Digital Literacy Initiative

*National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. (2005). National Assessment of Adult Literacy: A First Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st Century.

Certiport is a pioneer in developing globally recognized digital literacy standards designed to raise computing proficiency levels of workers and communities worldwide. These standards, embodied in Certiport’s certification pathway programs, are designed to measure initial user skills, deliver personalized training and remediation, and validate newly acquired levels of digital literacy.

In creating the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) program- the world’s first and only globally recognized digital literacy standard- Certiport enlisted the expertise of more than 270 government, professional, and academic subject matter experts from around the world to help define the fundamental skills required of an individual to be considered digitally literate. These global standards are critical to providing a protected, impartial means of measuring the skills of individuals and communities; regardless of race, gender, or age.

Certiport’s products and services allow workforce development program administrators to:

Measure existing skills of incoming program participants

Personalize training to meet specific needs of individuals

Create a globally competitive workforce

Substantiate the overall success of community development programs

Conquering the Digital Divide

for Workers and Communities

Efficiently developing a competent workforce is no small task. Most development programs are often unable to appropriately assess the needs and skill levels of incoming participants. This results in boredom on the part of advanced participants, who are required to study material they have already mastered, and an inability to allow lagging participants to grasp concepts the rest of the group comprehends. In the end, these types of programs do not maintain proper levels of funding because they fail to show consistent, meaningful outcomes.

Certiport’s Internet & Computing Benchmark™ assesses the skill levels of program entrants to provide a launching pad for the immediate development of learning plans that suit individual remediation. Detailed reporting creates a personalized learning approach to help give program participants exactly what they need and creates an adept system that hits target outcomes without overusing precious resources.

Internet & Computing Benchmark is based on global digital literacy standards that provide a tool to estimate baseline competency in standard business applications like spreadsheet and word processing programs, along with crucial operating system and Internet knowledge.

With the Internet & Computing Benchmark, you can:

Accurately and quickly gauge the digital skills of program entrants

Create individualized learning programs based on detailed reporting

Develop an efficient community program that reduces redundancy and wasted investment

Provide an assessment of skills based on the internationally accepted computing standards in Certiport’s IC³ program

Benchmark Existing Skills

and Personalize Remediation(Individuals) (Communities) (Nations)

Validate Program Effectiveness and

Digital SkillsValued in Today’s

WorkplaceValidation of learning is a necessary element of any training program. Proof of acquired digital literacy in a workforce development program requires the measuring of skills against a widely accepted standard, such as the globally recognized IC³.

More than just a paper certificate of achievement, IC³ offers employers proof of current and relevant skills sought in the business environment. In a competitive age where resumes often contain fraudulent information, IC³ offers a universally accepted, portable credential that employers can verify online with a unique validation code, ensuring individuals can demonstrate what employers want.

Achieving the IC³ standard of digital literacy:

Offers concrete proof that a certificate holder possesses the fundamental skills acquired in a workforce development program

Boosts the confidence of individuals seeking to gain real-world skills as a starting point for new employment and life opportunities

Creates a measurable outcome for advancing program objectives and goals

Provides a foundation for individual success and self-sustainability in the community

Leads to more advanced certifications such as Microsoft® Office Specialist for desktop productivity or other IT credentials

Implementing Digital Skills Assessment and Certification Programs in Your Community

Using Certiport’s Internet & Computing Benchmark to gauge digital literacy levels gives an accurate measure of computing skills and a foundation for prescriptive remediation. Training to achieve IC³ certification as an integral part of your community program allows you to create a workforce solution that not only provides training for your community, but is tailored to individual needs and helps distinguish program participants to employers and develops a means for current and future economic prosperity in your community.

Speak with your Certiport representative about what it takes to provide Certiport solutions in your community: 888-999-9830.

About Certiport

Certiport® is an industry-leading provider of digital literacy and desktop productivity assessment, training, and certification solutions. Certiport standards allow individuals of all backgrounds to develop the skills they need to succeed in today’s competitive, technology-driven world. Communities and nations that embrace these programs develop competitive, sustainable economies.

Certiport is the premier developer of the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³) as well as the Microsoft Office Specialist certification – the only certification for Microsoft Office programs endorsed by Microsoft.

For more information, please visit www.certiport.com

In January, 2006, Certiport and The Canadian Charity Association (CCA) launched a nationwide partnership initiative to allow marginalized residents to assess and upgrade their computing skills. The plan calls for more than 50 CCA-administered Community Computer Centers across Canada to offer Certiport’s Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³) by January of 2007. In addition to this offering, the plan also provides for a newly-created nationwide Census of Digital Skills™.

“A statistical report published in 2004 indicated the number of poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Toronto quadrupled during the past 20 years,” said David Saedi, president and CEO of Certiport.*

“Certiport’s partnership with CCA aims to stem this trend by providing Canada’s economically at-risk citizens with the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence they need to participate effectively in the new global community.”

The CCA began in 2000 as an organization designed to alleviate hunger in Toronto. In 2002, the association enlarged its mission to provide critical employment skills to all Canadians. Carole French, executive director of the CCA, said the association’s Community Computer Learning Centre programs have helped more than 66,000 Canadians address the growing Digital Divide and break the cycle of poverty.

“We chose Certiport because their programs add credibility to our outreach efforts,” French said. “By offering people training services and validation of their skill sets, we will give them a global currency to acquire employment and the courage to re-integrate into society.

THEIR STORY:

Bridging Canada’sDigital Divide

* The United Way reported the number of poor neighbourhoods in Toronto jumped from 30 in 1981 to 120 in 2001. The report can be viewed at www.unitedwaytoronto.com.

www.certiport.com