(Spencer)—Officials with Iowa Works, Iowa Lakes Community College and the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation are touting a tool designed to help individuals looking for a job market themselves. Bob Becker of the Iowa Works Office in Spencer tells KUOO news it’s the National Career Readiness Certification program. He says the assessment, developed by ACT, consists of three areas…(click here for comment.) “They are locating information, also applied reading and applied mathematics. Right now, Iowa Workforce Development is offering these free of charge to any individual that wishes to take them. We do have testing centers in all of the Iowa Lakes Community College campuses. But we’re also going to be hosting a series of events in which this can be explained more and information will be distributed about that, and that would be Monday, March 11th job fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg from 9 to noon; also Tuesday, March 12th at the all career job fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg from 9:30 a.m. to noon; and then Wednesday, March 13th at the all career job fair at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville from 9:30 a.m. to noon.”
Becker says the assessment has been around for awhile, but is being touted more now as a result of an initiative by Governor Terry Branstad…(click here for comment.) “The Governor’s Skilled Iowa initiative is really encouraging folks to get involved with this, and we’re also seeing quite a thrust from the business community wanting to see a skilled work force, so we really feel that this is kind of another tool in the tool box, so to speak. The neat thing about it is that this is a credential that job seekers can use to present themselves to employers as having the sufficient work skills to attain whatever position it is that they feel they’re qualified for.”
The assessment, which is free of charge, will be administered on four different dates at the Spencer, Estherville and Spirit Lake campuses of Iowa Lakes Community College.
Between Feb. 21 and May 31, Iowa Lakes Community College will promote a drawing for a free i-Pad for any job seeker taking the NCRC assessment at one of its campuses. Drawing to be held on or after May 31, 2013.
To assist in providing access to the NCRC, Iowa Lakes Community College has scheduled the following dates for the assessment. Those interested in taking the NCRC are asked to schedule a time to ensure that a computer will be available for the free testing.
- Friday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spencer Campus
- Friday, March 15, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Estherville Campus
- Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spencer Campus
- Monday, May 6, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spirit Lake Campus
- Contact Shauna Donovan at 712-336-6572 or sdonovan@iowalakes.edu to schedule a time for an assessment.
