The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven
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The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven by Business and Industry
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The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven by Business and Industry. The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven by Business and Industry. Presenter: Patricia Bates WAGE Coordinator at South - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of The Creation and Use of a State-Issued Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven
The Creation and Use of a State-Issued
Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven
by Business and Industry
The Creation and Use of a State-Issued
Certificate Program, Recognized and Driven
by Business and Industry
Presenter: Patricia BatesWAGE Coordinator at SouthArkansas Community CollegeAdult Education Section &Chair of State WAGE Advisory
History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program Formation of a Certificate Program
Certificate Types and Requirements Forming a Community Alliance
Standard Competencies, Customized Instruction
Return on Investment Marketing the Program
Question & Answer Period
PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS
History of the Arkansas WAGE Certificate
Program
WAGE stands for Workforce Alliance for Growth in the EconomyTM
WAGE is a work-based certificate program in Arkansas
WAGE was not always WAGE, it evolved Not surprisingly, WAGE grew out of the
SCANS era in the late 1980’s when industry strongly noticed the skills shortage for competing in the new technological, global economy
History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program
WAGE’s Logo
Employers who value and reward competent employees
Educators who respond to employers’ needs
Employees who understand the connection between employment and education
History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program
WAGE’s Motto
History of the AR WAGE Certificate Program
“Linking today’s workforce with
tomorrow’s jobs.”
Formation of a Certificate Program
$ WAGE in Arkansas has formalized start-up manual for adult education programs
$ Adult education programs in Arkansas voluntarily choose to become a certified WAGE program
$ WAGE is supported out of a program’s regular budget
Formation of a Certificate Program
To become a WAGE Certified Center, a program must: Form an alliance that includes no less than six (6)
businesses from their community Visit other WAGE centers Take Literacy Task Analysis (LTA) / functional
hooks training Perform six (6) LTAs on local businesses Acquire signed agreements from alliance
members Present start-up documentation for approval
before the state committee
The Start-up Steps
5
12
3
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Formation of a Certificate Program
Local employers agree to: Give added consideration to job and promotion
candidates with WAGE certificates Allow adult educators to perform literacy task
analyses on critical entry level jobs within their company
Assist with providing classroom space and materials when needed
Employers’ RolesFormation of a Certificate Program
AR State WAGE Advisory CommitteeFormation of a Certificate Program
Once certified, the center holds a voting position on the state WAGE
advisory committee
KEY PLAYERS
• Business & Community Support• Institutional Support• Client/Employee Participation
What Will it Take To Start
-Necessary Components- Collaboration Spirit of Volunteerism Resourcefulness Fearless Innovation Local Customization Cheerleading
Certificate Types and Requirements
Certificate Types and Requirements
Competencies
WAGE students complete standard competencies determined by businesses
statewide, but taught locally within the context of local businesses
Certificate Types and Requirements
Certificates
There are three certificates: Industrial, Clerical, and EmployabilityThe Industrial and Clerical require all of the
WAGE Competencies, along with some additional requirements
The Employability allows for flexibility in competency selection and additional requirements
Certificate Types and RequirementsIndustrial Certificate
Clerical Certificate Certificate Types and Requirements
Certificate Types and RequirementsEmployability Certificate
Certificate Types and RequirementsEmployability Certificate
A la carteCompetencies
Who are the students?WAGE serves those students whose reading, language, and mathematics skill levels measure less than 12.9 by the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE).
Certificate Types and Requirements
Certificate Types and RequirementsThe WAGE Test
Educators have devised an Arkansas-specific WAGE test that tests all competencies using work-related scenarios and documents that came out of Arkansas businessesMost questions on the WAGE test require an observable, constructive answerThis test ensures consistency in competency achievement since competency lessons are customized to local businesses but must be verified for a state certificate.
Forming a Community Alliance
Starting from scratch can take 12-24 monthsUse connections already in placeEnsure each stakeholder has a interest that relates to
the intended outcomes of the program; choose a focused chairperson
Meeting times should be most conducive to the consensus of the group, centering it around a normal meal time (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) tends to free up most people and has an added lure of food to ensure attendance
Forming a Community Alliance
WHO MAKES UP THE ALLIANCE?WAGE works with all community agencies:service providers (family, human, and employment services)local and state government (Workforce Investment Boards, mayors, city councils)economic development (Chambers of Commerce, development boards)job training programs and job placement agenciesother educational entities
Forming a Community Alliance
““No Wrong-Door Policy”No Wrong-Door Policy”
Industrial Industrial CoordinatorCoordinator
W.A.G.E.W.A.G.E.StudentStudent
PT & FT PT & FT Employment Employment
AgenciesAgencies
Civic Civic ClubsClubs
Chamber of Chamber of CommerceCommerce
Business & Business & IndustryIndustry
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?? City, City,
CountyCounty andandStateState
GovernmentGovernment
Green Green ThumbThumb
DHSDHS
JTPAJTPA
ESDESD
AdultAdult Education Education
Business & Industry Support
Advisory Board - 51% Business Chair from Business/IndustryBusiness Must Identify NeedsBusiness Must Communicate
Standard Competencies;
Customized Instruction
Standard Competencies (handout) Customized, prioritized, and proportionately
emphasized based on business and industry findings from the Literacy Task Analysis
Taught within an actual workplace context, using “functional hooks” to help students “learn to learn”
Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction
The Literacy Task Analysis Educators work with the participating employers to determine the community’s workforce educational needsEducators go to the workplace and analyze the basic skills needed to perform the jobEducators keep frequency charts for each competencyEducators make note of which skills impact production, profit, and safety the most
Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction
Contextual Lessons and Functional Hooks Educators build contextual, customized lessons
for skills considered most important and occurring most frequently Educators develop “Functional Hooks” within the
lessons to help students see the basic skills application with a real work scenario Educators have correlated appropriate supplemental materials to the competencies
Standard Competencies; Customized Instruction
Assessment Intervention/EducationPost AssessmentReferral for Job Placement
What does WAGE Training look like?
ASSESSMENT TABE - 7A or 8A, full battery or Survey Careerscope Assessment - interest and
aptitude WAGE Post Test - test of 112 WAGE Competencies Spatial Relations Test Dexterity Test Computer Literacy Test
EDUCATION GED Instruction &/or Basic Skills Certified Adult Ed. Instructors Quality Textbooks Computer Tutorial Programs-
PLATO, Passkey, SkillsBank Computer Literacy Software Employability Training
Return on Investment
THE BUSINESS TAKE ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT$ Production improves. $ Quality goes up.$ Waste is reduced. $ Profits increase.$ Safety incidents are reduced.$ Customer satisfaction improves.$ Employee retention improves.$ Recruitment costs are reduced.$ Employee attitudes improves.$ Employees show more interest and success at next level of technical training.$ Employer competes better in a global
economy; likelihood of longevity improves.
Return on Investment
Return on Investment
COMMUNITY RETURN ON INVESTMENT$ Companies increase profits.$ Increase profits improve wages.$ Better wages retain better employees.$ Better wages increases an individual’s spending power.$ Better employees provides increased likelihood employer will stay in the area.$ Increased spending power comes back to improve the community through improved tax base, tourism, economic growth.$ Improved communities attract good business and good employees.
Marketing the Program
Marketing the Program
On a shoestring with no assigned marketing dollars: Using available web site Using PowerPoint and speaking to groups Making local Workforce Investment Boards
aware that we already exist and invented the cooperative, collaborative approach
Do-it-yourself brochures (handout) Newspaper articles on successful completers Special project newspaper advertisement Volunteer multimedia project
Marketing the Program
Best Cheerleader: Business and industry themselves
Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers
Questions
SuggestionsAnswers
Contact Information
