Tecumseh Area Partnership's
WorkKey's Community Model
Successfully created partnerships with local manufacturers, school corporations, training providers,
the Department of Workforce Development, and job seekers that allows all participating to have
access to services. This pre-employment assessment system has provided a common applicant pool
that currently has the test results of over 6000 applicants utilizing the Work Keys metric and is able to
link them to major employers who are participating in the program through ACT’s Work Keys Job
Profiling process. We are able to document and show potential companies considering locating
facilities into Economic Growth Region Four that we have a very qualified applicant pool from which to
draw potential employees. When economic developers are asked about their community skill bass, all
they can provide is a census profile on educational achievement, broken down by age and gender.
With WorkKeys, we can provide a skills profile that assesses individual skills, profiles local/area jobs,
uses the data to market our community and identify internal challenges.
The system identifies the skill levels necessary for entry into an occupation or job and the levels
expected at performance. A skill gap analysis identifies training needs that incumbent workers or
applicants possess and then provides remediation of the skills necessary to participate in those jobs
utilizing proprietary computer based programs KeyTrain from Thinking Media, INC and WIN from
Worldwide Interactive Network. Access to these programs has been provided to all companies who
show interest in developing the skills of their incumbent workforce. We make these internet programs
available in their training centers and provide workers with username and passwords to use from
home.
To date the following employers: Eli Lilly, Fairfield, Malhaupts, Tyson, Vanguard National, Alcoa CSI,
Monticello Spring, Rockland Industries, Lafayette Fire Department, Landec AG, Lafayette Venetian
Blind, Endocyte, NTK, Ball Corporation, Precise Technology, Wabash National, Rea Magnet Wire,
Indiana/Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters Joint Apprentice and Training Program, Sommers
Metal Craft, Morning Song Wild Bird Feed, Excel Co-op and SIA, have completed 60 job profiles and
the number is growing as new employers get on board.
All school corporations in Tecumseh Area Region 4 have been given access to WIN and KeyTrain.
Many of these schools use these tools as a career development tool in the schools career classes.
As students identify careers of interest, they can use their WorkKeys scores to see how they compare
against entry level scores as identified in ACT’s Occupational Profile database. The results from the
individual assessments become part of a job application process to provide employers with objective,
concise and understandable evidence of applicant work place skills. Guidance counselors use this
information to schedule students into classes that support career goals. Some also use WIN and/or
KeyTrain to help prepare students for I-Step testing and general remediation. WorkKeys provides a
common language between the school community and business/employer sectors that focus on
promoting and developing a better work force. The Indiana Certificate of Workplace Readiness,
signed by the Governor and the Commissioner of Workforce Development, is awarded to those
students who achieve the appropriate score levels. These certificates are recognized by employers in
our area as a documentation of skill levels.
