IOWA CITY, Iowa—Hundreds of thousands of high school students in Mexico will have a new credential to present future employers thanks to a new agreement between the Foundation for the Improvement of Education in Mexico, AC (FUNDAMEE) and the National College of Technical and Professional Education (CONALEP).
Under the agreement, the ACT WorkKeys work skills assessments will be administered to students as well as teachers in a network of more than 300 schools with a total population of approximately 300,000 students. Approximately 16,000 CONALEP teachers will take the WorkKeys assessments starting in July 2017. In January 2018, after teachers are trained to orient students, students will begin to take the assessments.
The tests will be administered online in the assessment centers of each school to the students and teachers who elect to take them. Through their scores, students can earn a work ready credential that is recognized by employers in both Mexico and the US.
ACT WorkKeys exams measure skills needed for success in the workplace in areas such as applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information. They have been used for more than two decades to measure essential workplace skills and help individuals build career pathways.
CONALEP examinees who score high enough on the ACT WorkKeys exams will earn a Career Readiness Certificate that documents essential work skills. The certificate, which is recognized in both the US and Mexico, is used by job seekers as a credential and by employers as a way to analyze the qualifications of job candidates.
Nearly 3.8 million individuals have participated in workforce readiness training and certification and earned a Career Readiness Certificate in the US. The credential distinguishes qualified candidates in the hiring process, benefiting workers and employers.
ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in nearly 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career.