Case Study Skills Credetials Aid Displaced Maufacturig Workers i Ohio February 2013 THE CHALLENGE Provide opportuities for hudreds of maufacturig employees at soo-to-be-closed plats to ear skills credetials that will covey a objective measure of workplace skills to future employers THE SOLUTION Deploy osite rapid respose teams to each plat, providig istructio ad testig for idustry-recogized certificatios ad affordig employees a better opportuity to secure employmet before or soo after their exit dates KEY COMPONENTS ACT WorkKeys assessmets ad the ACT Natioal Career Readiess Certificate (NCRC ) Maufacturig Skill Stadards Coucil Certified Productio Techicia (MSSC CPT) traiig ad certificatio STATEWIDE RESULTS as of November 2012 Placemet of idividuals i ew jobs: 425 Full CPT certificatios eared: 422 NCRCs awarded: 190 MSSC modular certificates eared: 2,015 Total umber of participats: 1,291 The Power of Multiple Credetials Whe ACT WorkKeys assessmets were used i combiatio with the MSSC CPT credetial, pass rates for all four of the CPT modules exceeded 90%, compared to 81% atioally. The CPT pass rate for idividuals with a ACT WorkKeys Applied Mathematics score of Level 3 was 59%. The rate icreased to 87% for idividuals with score of Level 5. 92% 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% 80% 78% 76% Passig Rate for All Four CPT Modules Natioal average This program, i combiatio with ACT WorkKeys The CPT pass rate for idividuals with a ACT WorkKeys Readig for Iformatio score of Level 4 was 68%, compared to 89% for those with a score of Level 5. Of the idividuals who eared both the NCRC ad MSSC CPT, 45% foud employmet. Aother 25% etered a postsecodary educatio/traiig program rather tha seek immediate reemploymet. The 45% employmet success rate is 6% higher tha for those who did ot ear both credetials.
KEY ORGANIZATIONS Maufacturig Skill Stadards Coucil Southwest Ohio Regio Workforce Ivestmet Board Ciciati Labor Agecy for Social Services Commuicatios Workers of America OVERVIEW Ohio has bee a maufacturig powerhouse for more tha a cetury but has lost early 350,000 maufacturig jobs sice 2001. However, maufacturig remais crucial to the ecoomy of the state. As plats closed etirely or dowsized dramatically, idividuals with decades of maufacturig experiece foud themselves facig uemploymet. May of these workers bega their maufacturig careers right after high school ad lacked certificatios or diplomas idicative of their skill levels. Meawhile, employers who were hirig or expadig eeded motivated ad skilled workers to operate their productio equipmet but required a objective measure of the skills each prospective employee possessed. Uder the Worker Adjustmet ad Retraiig Notificatio (WARN) Act, employers plaig a closure or mass layoff must provide 60 days otice to affected workers. Soo after each WARN otice was issued, hudreds of workers faced a exit date whe they would o loger have a job. Early i 2010, the Commuicatios Workers of America (CWA) uio was awarded a grat from the US Departmet of Labor to provide traiig for displaced maufacturig workers i several couties throughout Ohio. While the grat iitially focused o servig displaced autoworkers i several Ohio couties, it was later expaded to other displaced maufacturig workers i Hamilto ad Butler couties via a partership with the Southwest Ohio Regio Workforce Ivestmet Board (SWORWIB). At that poit, the decisio was made to add the NCRC as a additioal credetial that displaced workers could ear. I Jue 2011, Presidet Obama aouced the creatio of the Advaced Maufacturig Partership, a public-private collaboratio to ivest i the atio s maufacturig capabilities. Subsequetly, the presidet aouced a iitiative to credetial 500,000 maufacturig workers with idustry-recogized certificatios ad cited The Maufacturig Istitute s NAM-Edorsed Skills Certificatio System as a atioal solutio. The foudatio of this system is the ACT Natioal Career Readiess Certificate, a gateway credetial to the Skills Certificatio System. Amog the certificatios withi the system is the Maufacturig Skill Stadards Coucil s Certified Productio Techicia (MSSC CPT) credetial, which certifies the core techical skills applicable to all frot-lie productio workers. Give these evets, it was time for Ohio workforce ad social service agecies, alog with uio orgaizatios, to lauch ew, creative iitiatives to serve area workers ad employers. 2
THE CHALLENGE Key orgaizatios i this iitiative had to persuade workers facig uemploymet that their uexpected job search would be more successful if they had idustry-recogized, atioally portable credetials to documet their skills. The classes ad testig would eed to be iitiated, if ot accomplished, before the workers exit dates. This required a accelerated yet flexible schedule, at a coveiet locatio, at o cost to the idividual. The ideal outcome: secure a ew job, equivalet to or better tha the curret positio, prior to or soo after the idividual s exit date. This would maximize the idividual s opportuities while elimiatig the eed for uemploymet beefits. FINDING A SOLUTION They eed somethig o their resume aside from their work experiece they eed a way to stad out from other applicats. Idustryrecogized skills certificatios are a way to do that. Cathy Metcalf, executive director, Ciciati Labor Agecy for Social Services The MSSC CPT certificatio seemed the most applicable to the majority of our displaced maufacturig sector workers, says Sherry Kelley Marshall, presidet ad CEO of SWORWIB, servig Ciciati ad Hamilto couties. Employers who hire a Certified Productio Techicia kow that they are gettig someoe with strog baselie skills i maufacturig, someoe who ca work i a team eviromet, ad someoe who will help the compay s productivity, safety record, ad quality assurace. The Maufacturig Skill Stadards Coucil desiged the modules ad assessmets for the CPT certificatio usig atioal stadards based o iput from 4,000 workers at 700 compaies, plus 300 subject matter experts, accordig to Rebekah Hutto, director of research ad govermet relatios for the coucil. The CPT certificatio is built o four modules: Safety, Quality Practices ad Measuremet, Maufacturig Processes ad Productio, ad Maiteace Awareess. Idividuals must work through olie curricula ad take a assessmet for each module. SWORWIB leadership bega to work with the Ciciati Labor Agecy for Social Services (CLASS) o implemetatio of a five-week fast track CPT model. Cathy Metcalf, executive director of CLASS, ad Marshall of SWORWIB agreed that askig each worker to prepare for ad take ACT WorkKeys assessmets would be a essetial compoet of the pla. With a accelerated program, it is extremely importat that we measure ad cofirm the idividuals foudatioal skills first, says Metcalf. The CPT curricula ad tests are challegig, so it s essetial that each perso s skills are sufficiet to esure success with the rest of the program. Marshall adds, As we bega to implemet the pla, it just made sese to have the workers take all three ACT WorkKeys assessmets ad ear the ACT Natioal Career Readiess Certificate. It s aother atioally recogized credetial, it s portable, employers like it, ad it improves the results of a job search. 3
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS The Hamilto Couty plats where rapid respose operatios were deployed icluded Avo Products, Ic., Beam Global Spirits & Wie, ad Graphic Packagig, as a total of early 1,500 workers were to be displaced from the three plats. I each case, the employers supported osite traiig ad welcomed presetatios to employees. The program was later expaded to earby Butler Couty, which was experiecig multiple plat closigs. The NCRC allows them to demostrate their itelligece ad competecy. Whe you see workers without a high school diploma or GED scorig 6s o their ACT WorkKeys tests, you see a visible boost i self-cofidece. Sherry Kelley Marshall, presidet ad CEO, Southwest Ohio Regio Workforce Ivestmet Board To help build credibility, Metcalf shares her experiece as a 22-year employee of a Idiaa auto parts maufacturer that closed. I tell them how thigs have chaged i the job search process. I let them kow that it s importat to kow how to use a computer to submit a applicatio olie. I tell them that they eed somethig o their resume aside from their work experiece they eed a way to stad out from other applicats. Idustry-recogized skills certificatios are a way to do that. Ad I tell them it will take a lot of work, but the team will be there every step of the way. I also tell them, adds Metcalf, that the last thig they wat to have happe is to apply for a positio, the take the ACT WorkKeys assessmets ad fail. That meas the ed of that opportuity. But if they ear the NCRC ow, usig ACT KeyTrai coursework to improve their scores if eeded, the they have a leg up o other cadidates ad do t have to worry about testig later. Fuds from the America Recovery ad Reivestmet Act (ARRA) ad the State of Ohio made it possible to istall up to 20 laptop computers i a lab at each compay for use by the still-employed workers before or after their shifts. Additioal trasitio ceters with computers were available at uio halls, employmet ceters, ad other sites operated by commuity-based orgaizatios. Workers were able to work through ACT KeyTrai curricula to prepare for their ACT WorkKeys assessmets, take their assessmets i a proctored eviromet to ear the NCRC, ad atted classes ad complete coursework ad testig for the required modules to ear the MSSC CPT credetial. Employees with earer-term exit dates were give priority i class schedulig. Marshall believes that i today s ecoomy ad workplace, Employers expect a objective defiitio of skill sets. I Ohio, we have a maufacturig workforce that is bright ad experieced but ot ecessarily well educated. The NCRC offers those idividuals who did t fiish high school or pursue higher educatio a ew credetial to help documet kowledge ad skills. The NCRC allows them to demostrate their itelligece ad competecy. Whe you see workers without a high school diploma or GED scorig 6s o their ACT WorkKeys tests, you see a visible boost i self-cofidece. Kathlee Williams, youth ad public iformatio coordiator at SWORWIB ad a former rapid respose coordiator i Butler Couty, adds, These workers are very motivated. I most cases, they sped up to four hours i the classroom before or after workig a full shift at the plat. They really wat these credetials for their resume, ad I thik that says a lot to prospective employers. We ve talked to several of the workers who foud employmet at good compaies earig good wages, ad they defiitely credit these credetials as helpig them advace to ew opportuities. The osite computer lab/classrooms, with istructio available before ad after work shifts, helped make the process coveiet. But it was also importat to accelerate the pace so workers could complete their credetials prior to their exit dates. The fast-track 4
elemet was essetial, explais Metcalf. Our program made it possible to ear the NCRC ad a CPT credetial i oly five weeks a itese five weeks to be sure but five weeks was our goal. Both Metcalf ad Marshall believe that The Maufacturig Istitute s NAM-Edorsed Skills Certificatio System has it exactly right: the NCRC should be the gateway credetial because it helps documet a idividual s cogitive skills. Marshall says, ACT WorkKeys testig is importat for MSSC coursework readiess eve if the program is t a accelerated program. You eed to kow if the idividual ca read, uderstad, do math, ad solve problems at a credible level before you lauch ito a itesive curriculum. I my book, the NCRC ad MSSC work had i glove. Metcalf explais, With lea maufacturig, middle-level supervisors ad maagers that used to be aroud to solve problems wet away. They were cosidered a uproductive expese that detracted from lea goals. So ow it s more importat that all workers ca thik ad make decisios o their ow. Credetials help prove that those critical thikig skills are preset. OUTCOMES Whe ACT WorkKeys assessmets were used i combiatio with the MSSC CPT credetial, pass rates for all four of the CPT modules exceeded 90% ie poits above the atioal average. I additio, higher ACT WorkKeys scores traslated to higher pass rates o the CPT course exams. For example: The CPT pass rate for idividuals with a ACT WorkKeys Applied Mathematics score of Level 5 was 87%, compared to 59% for those with a score of Level 3. The CPT pass rate for idividuals with a ACT WorkKeys Readig for Iformatio score of Level 5 was 89%, compared to 68% for those with a score of Level 4. We ve talked to several of the workers who foud employmet at good compaies earig good wages, ad they defiitely credit these credetials as helpig them advace to ew opportuities. Kathlee Williams, youth ad public iformatio coordiator, Southwest Ohio Regio Workforce Ivestmet Board Of the idividuals who eared both the NCRC ad MSSC CPT, 45% foud employmet ad aother 25% etered a postsecodary educatio/traiig program rather tha seek immediate reemploymet. The 45% employmet success rate is 6% higher tha for those who did ot ear both credetials. Accordig to Marshall, some members of Ciciati s Advaced Maufacturig Career Pathways Collaborative have take ACT WorkKeys assessmets themselves. May members ow guaratee a iterview to applicats with the NCRC ad a MSSC CPT credetial. Ad i additio to the guarateed iterview, some provide a 50-cet-per-hour icrease i the salary offer. Marshall says, As a public sector servat, I d much rather ivest i people beig traied before they lose their jobs. I ejoy seeig them succeed i their traiig, ear their credetials, ad avoid uemploymet beefits because their last check at the closed plat is followed by their first check from the ew job. Metcalf adds, Whe I ca help a perso who thiks his world just eded with that WARN otice, I thik I just may have oe of the best jobs i America. 5
SUCCESS STORY Adria Waites was workig for Mohawk Fie Papers i Hamilto, Ohio, as a back teder. He was just moths shy of his 30-year mark with the firm whe Mohawk aouced its decisio to shut dow the Hamilto operatio etirely. Employees were give about 60 days otice. Adria was resposible for moitorig the measuremets of the paper, icludig weight, caliper width, watermark clarity, curl, smoothess, ad moisture cotet, as well as overall appearace. He was a frot-lie worker resposible for the quality of the plat s output. Whe I ca help a perso who thiks his world just eded with that WARN otice, I thik I just may have oe of the best jobs i America. Cathy Metcalf, executive director, Ciciati Labor Agecy for Social Services Whe the closig was aouced, Cathy Metcalf spoke at the plat. She said that the better-payig jobs would require certificatios. She recommeded that all idividuals cosider comig to the osite classroom at Mohawk to prepare for ad take their ACT WorkKeys assessmets to ear the Natioal Career Readiess Certificate ad also complete the coursework ad testig to become Certified Productio Techicias a MSSC certificatio. I did t wat to do it, Adria recalls, as he had bee out of the classroom for decades. The experiece was better tha I thought it would be. The istructors were great ad really helped break dow the cotet to make it easier to uderstad ad remember. He eared a Silver-level NCRC but may retake Locatig Iformatio to try for a Gold. Adria applied at a distillery i Lawreceburg, Idiaa, 38 miles about a hour s drive from his ewly costructed home i Hamilto. Whe he iterviewed at the former Seagram s distillery, ow owed by Midwest Grai Products (MGP), the iterviewer s secod questio focused o skill certificatios. Adria believes that his NCRC ad CPT credetials helped his chaces. He was hired as a distillery operator. He s grateful to be workig. Adria tells about a coworker at the paper mill who chose ot to do the NCRC ad MSSC traiig/testig. That perso remais uemployed. Whe asked why he thiks employers care about skills certificatios, he respoded, It shows you ca thik o your ow. That s what they wat. 6
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