In a white paper released today, ACT defines workplace readiness and calls for a new model of college and career readiness that emphasizes multiple skill domains and competencies. The paper, Unpacking Career Readiness, argues that the skills needed for success in college and in the workplace, while overlapping, are distinct and that measurement of readiness must encompass both academic and nonacademic skills.
“There is a common belief that readiness for college and readiness for work are identical,” said Wayne Camara, ACT senior vice president of research. “That’s simply not the case. ACT is defining what it means to be work ready, as differentiated from college ready, with the goal of helping better gauge students’ overall readiness for success after high school.”
The paper calls for a more expansive, holistic model of college and career readiness that emphasizes the various skill areas and competencies needed for success in college and work. This new model would incorporate multiple domains and specific skills associated with career clusters or occupations.
“We must be concerned about learning readiness, not just academic readiness,” said Jon Erickson, president of ACT. “There are many different factors, cognitive and noncognitive, that can impact an individual’s success in college and the workplace, and we need to take them all into account when we measure student readiness.”
“I am grateful that ACT continues to tackle the challenge of the skills gap in this country,” said Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). “This most recent publication is a complement to CCSSO’s Opportunities and Options report that was published in December and can help any state in its efforts to improve career readiness pathways for all students.”
The report identifies four types of skills that contribute to success after high school:
- Core academic skills in English, math and science
- Cross-cutting capabilities such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and information and technology skills
- Behavioral skills such as dependability, working effectively with others, adapting and managing stress
- Navigation skills needed to successfully navigate future pathways, such as self-knowledge of abilities, likes and dislikes, values, exploration and planning skills, and knowledge of majors, occupations and career opportunities.
According to the paper, even readiness for the workplace itself cannot be measured on a single dimension. ACT research points to three levels of workplace readiness that range from the more general to the more specific:
- Work readiness—possessing the core or essential level of the knowledge and skills that are normally required for success in typical workforce training programs
- Career readiness—possessing the specific academic skills and the overall performance level required for readiness in jobs within a particular career cluster
- Job readiness—possessing the skills and knowledge needed for success in a particular job within an occupation or career cluster.
A report released earlier this week by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB)—Content Comparisons and Alignment: Is the Content of NAEP Similar to Other Relevant Tests?—supports the use of different assessments to measure college readiness and career readiness. The study compared the content of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments, which measure academic achievement, with ACT WorkKeys® assessments, which measure job skills. The results showed some similarities between the two exams but also significant differences in focus and intent.
ACT research continues to support the need for a common expectation of readiness for all elementary and secondary students, one that prepares all students for a variety of options after high school graduation.
“We still strongly believe that all students should be educated to the same set of high standards to prepare them for success in either college or workforce training programs, whichever direction they choose to go,” said Erickson. “When we are measuring students’ college and career readiness, however, we must take into account that specific competencies for work and college can vary.”
The paper from ACT, a not-for-profit organization, is the second in a series of reports that examine college and career readiness in depth.