Free Online Tool Details Job Skill Requirements

June 26, 2002

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Students and adults looking to succeed in a career have a new tool to help them determine the skills required for specific jobs. An online program combining career exploration with a database of the skills required in more than 1400 American occupations is now available free on ACT's website.

In addition to its educational achievement tests such as the ACT Assessment, ACT, Inc., is also involved in job skills assessments and training for adult learners. The database of occupational skills is based on personal interviews with over 30,000 individuals employed in these occupations with companies throughout the U.S.

The new online information incorporates ACT's World-of-Work Map—an interactive map matching career duties with personal interests—and WorkKeys occupational profiles—a database of skills based on American jobs that have been profiled through ACT's WorkKeys program. WorkKeys is ACT's job skills assessment program, used by thousands of employers, employees and schools nationwide.

"Through this website, users can think about what they like to do, then explore jobs and find out what skills are required," said Tom Saterfiel, Senior Vice President, Workforce and Professional Services. "The next step is to take skills assessments to determine your own level of skills, and then arrange for education or training, if needed to bring you up to the skill levels you need for career success."

While using the website, users are first asked to decide which they would most enjoy working with: things, ideas, people, data, or combinations of each. When an area is selected, the website guides the user to explore careers that match their work interests.

Users can then select a career, find examples of college majors and occupations that fit that career, and read a profile of a typical person working in the career. From there, users can look at the skills—such as applied mathematics, teamwork and writing—which are needed in the chosen career.

"Often, adults who are working in a career are puzzled about why they are not making progress," said Saterfiel. "Sometimes they are missing key skills but they have no way of knowing. The first step in finding out is to determine what skills are needed for the job and how you measure up. From there, you just select the right training. It can mean the difference between career success and failure."