What is WorkKeys?
WorkKeys is a system developed by ACT (American College Testing) to help students develop better workplace skills, help teachers prepare students for the workplace, and help employers select the most qualified candidates for the job.

Why is WorkKeys Important?
Employers today have created vast numbers of jobs requiring higher skill levels than in the past. They are having an increasingly difficult time finding qualified employees. WorkKeys helps businesses and educators understand each other’s needs.

How WorkKeys is Used
There is a growing trend across the country to bring together employers, educators, labor and state agencies to improve a community’s supply of skilled workers. WorkKeys job profiles have been completed for thousands of jobs and occupations. More than 8500 jobs, in nearly 1400 occupations, ranging from accountant to automotive technician and from welder to webmaster have been profiled.

How WorkKeys Works
WorkKeys is built around a set of skill scales that accurately measure both the skills of individuals and the competency levels required for successful job performance.

Businesses use WorkKeys job profiling to analyze the skills necessary for specific jobs in their organizations. These profiles offer a concrete way for businesses to describe to educators, students, and job applicants the skills they need for particular jobs. Then, job applicants can use their WorkKeys scores to determine how their skills measure up to those required. And, educators can see how well they are preparing graduates for the work world in different occupations.

WorkKeys offers eight assessments that can be used separately or in combination:

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Technology
• Listening
• Locating Information
• Observation
• Reading for Information
• Teamwork
• Writing