ACT® WorkKeys® Curriculum and National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)

ACT® WorkKeys® Curriculum:

This curriculum will help participants build essential skills used in the workplace. It consists of three courses; Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. Each course begins with a placement quiz to determine a recommended lesson level to match a participant’s current ability. Coursework is expected to be completed independently and the online platform is equipped with tools to help participants stay on track. For convenience and ease of use, the program can be accessed through a computer, tablet, or mobile device with a modern browser. The lessons in the coursework will help prepare participants for the ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Assessments that is taken at the end of the WorkReadyNH Course.

WorkKeys® Assessments and NCRC:

Subsequent to the last day of the Soft Skills Course, you will take the WorkKeys® Assessments in Applied Mathematics, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. You will receive a WorkKeys® Assessments Test Prep Booklet at the beginning of the course. In addition, an online demo of the WorkKeys® Assessments will be presented in class. Successful completion of the WorkKeys® Assessments leads to a National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC).

Course Descriptions

WorkKeys® Applied Mathematics Course

The Applied Mathematics Course involves applying mathematical reasoning and problem-solving techniques to workplace situations; emphasizes the application of these skills to real-world situations; and reviews the basic concepts of mathematical operations including money, measurement and time.

Topics in the beginning levels include	More advanced topics include
Basic operations; addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division	Calculate percent of change
Operations with fractions	Find production rates
Work with ratios, proportions, and rates	Find the area and volume of basic and non-standard shapes
Calculate averages	Apply knowledge of ratios, rates, and proportions to solve complex problems
Convert units of time, measurement, and quantity	Convert between multiple units of measurement
Problem solving with mixed units	Identify and fix mathematical errors
Find geometric calculations such as perimeter and circumference	Calculate weighted mean
	Interpret measure of central tendency, spread, and tolerances

WorkKeys® Workplace Documents Course

The Workplace Documents Course involves reading and understanding common workplace documents (letters, manuals, procedures, memos), and examines the essential aspects of understanding and applying information given in practical situations. The Workplace Documents Course includes dozens of sample workplace documents that increase in length, detail, and difficulty of understanding as the course progresses. All exercises are based on realistic work situations.

Topics in the beginning levels include	More advanced topics include
Identify essential parts of emails, memos, and policies	Infer implied details in a document
Identify the main idea of text	Apply information to a realistic situation
Kind key details of text	Identify the reasoning and principles behind a document
Follow written instructions	Apply the principles behind a document in order to make decisions
Apply what you read to realistic scenarios	Draw conclusions from documents in order to make decisions
Use context clues to decode unknown words	Infer the meaning of acronyms, jargon, and technical terms from context
Identify the purpose of a document
Apply written information to a variety of situations, including ones that aren’t explicitly described in the writing
Identify key details in simple legal documents, like contracts and regulations

WorkKeys® Graphic Literacy Course

Graphs and other visuals are often used in the workplace to convey and compare information. Some examples are graphs and charts to show sales and costs, instructions in a flow-chart, machinery with gauges and meters that show measurements like speed and fuel, and tables for chemical use. The Graphic Literacy Course provides training on how to read and interpret visuals quickly and efficiently.

Topics in the beginning levels include	More advanced topics include
Interpret graphs and charts that show sales, costs, and more	Practice making decisions based on graphics
Make predictions based on graphics with past business data	Learn how to evaluate graphics for accuracy and effectiveness
Operate vehicles or machinery with complex dashboards	Interpret, compare, and analyze trends in data presented in graphs with a secondary y-axis
Make decisions about products and services based on information presented in a table	Analyze and find trends in stacked bar graphs and other less-commonly used graphics
Read and interpret scatter plots	Compare trends across multiple graphics
Combination charts	Make real-world decisions based on information you learn in graphics
Graphs with a secondary y-axis	Understand and compare financial trends
Complex Diagrams	Make predictions based on graphics with past business data
Digital and analog dashboards	Make educated inferences about the cause of a trend or pattern
	Make decisions about products, services, and plans based on a variety of graphics