This article was downloaded by: [Erciyes University]On: 20 December 2014, At: 03:18Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK

Community College Journal ofResearch and PracticePublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucjc20

Virginia Career ReadinessCertificateGlenn DuBois a & Gloria Westerman aa Virginia Community College System , Richmond,Virginia, USAPublished online: 22 May 2007.

To cite this article: Glenn DuBois & Gloria Westerman (2007) Virginia CareerReadiness Certificate, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31:6,535-536, DOI: 10.1080/10668920701359961

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10668920701359961

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VIRGINIA CAREER READINESS CERTIFICATE

Glenn DuBoisGloria Westerman

Virginia Community College System, Richmond, Virginia, USA

This article describes how Virginia responded to employer needs andcreated a blue print for the establishment of a demand driven workforce-credentialing system. This system serves the needs of job seekers andthe competency-certification needs of hiring authorities. This is a truequality of life and economic development movement.

Virginia business leaders have rung the alarm bell on the skilledworkforce shortages that threaten our economic development overthe next decade. Business and industry leaders called upon the VirginiaCommunity College System (VCCS) and other key stakeholders toimplement a statewide employability certificate that will help toadvance the state’s workforce development efforts and facilitate ahigher quality of life.

Workforce development is economic development. It is imperativeto center workforce development efforts around the lightning-fastchanges in industry that demand not only skills training but alsoskills verification. To execute the New Rule, apply three strategies:

1. Target high growth and high impact jobs.2. Provide individuals with the capabilities and verification of

capabilities to obtain high growth and high impact employ-ment, and connect them directly to business and industry.

3. Allocate resources to demand-driven workforce and economicdevelopment programs.

Address correspondence to Glenn DuBois, Virginia Community College System,

Richmond, VA 23219. E-mail: gdubois@vccs.edu

Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31: 535–536, 2007

Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

ISSN: 1066-8926 print/1521-0413 online

DOI: 10.1080/10668920701359961

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The Virginia governor’s office launched the initiative in 2004.Career Readiness Certificates (CRC) are graded at three levels: gold,silver, and bronze—depending on exam scores. Upon the CRCsfirst anniversary in October 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginiahad awarded over 7,000 CRCs. For many of those recipients, theCRC award represents the first such certification of ‘‘academic’’achievement. Participants take WorkKeys exams in foundationaljob skills that are crucial to training and employment.

The CRC provides employers with a valid, reliable, and legallycompliant skills-assessment to integrate into the hiring process.Moreover, the CRC process not only encourages self-motivation,but it also drives skill improvement through training software directlyrelated to WorkKeys workplace skills. The result is that employersget applicants who have taken initiative to improve their potentialworth to the company. It is truly a win-win process. It is designedto raise community workforce competencies by identifying andimproving the weakest and, often, the least visible tier.

To connect the certifications to business and industry stakeholders,the VCCS and VECTECi developed a searchable database, calledVirginia Skills Bank (VSB). Employers may search by individualor, in the aggregate, the following data: (a) certificates awarded, (b)skill levels according to WorkKeys scores, and (c) the populationof skilled workers who are available to work in a given region. Busi-nesses and economic developers can search the database by Zip code,region, college district, and other criteria.

By creating a searchable statewide database, the Virginia SkillsBank is able to connect directly an individual to an employer.Together, the CRC and the Skills Bank provide a framework for uni-fied, consistent workforce development, education, and trainingacross delivery systems—as well as funding streams.

The CRC provides a workplace skills certification that businessescan connect directly to productivity, quality, business processes,and profitability. The CRC in Virginia is supported by the VirginiaWorkforce Council, Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, and theVirginia Manufacturers Association. It is a useful economic develop-ment tool in cities and counties where skill levels of incumbent,dislocated workers are inadequate and, thus, discourage businessdevelopment.

536 G. DuBois and G. Westerman

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