Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)

1. Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) is an assessment-based credential that gives employers and career seekers a uniform measure of key workplace skills.

2. What is DCE? • Virginia Department of Correctional Education • Provides educational services to incarcerated individuals across the state • Academic • Vocational • Cognitive • Service areas • Adult prisons • Juvenile facilities • Community Corrections

3. The Career Readiness Certificate program was part of Governor Mark Warner's Education for a Lifetime initiative and continues under Governor Kaine. Oversight of the CRC is the responsibility of the Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC); administration of the CRC is handled by the Virginia Community College System.

4. The Career Readiness Certificate is a portable skills credential, assuring employers that a job applicant actually has the basic skills they seek.

5. Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate helps employers by certifying that a recipient possesses core skills in applied math, reading for information, and locating information — skills that are required by at least85%of all jobs profiled by ACT Workkeys in the country.

6. Virginia’s Career Readiness Certificate 3 Levels Bronzecore employability skills for approximately 30% of available jobs Silver approximately 65% Gold approximately 85%.

7. Why the CRC FOR DCE? w Upon release, individuals who carry with them a Career Readiness Certificate will have a credential that provides meaningful evidence of their job skills and promotes their employability in a competitive market.

8. By testing individuals who are enrolled in Career and Technical programs in a fourth area, Applied Technology, DCE students will have additional support to “level the playing field” when competing for employment upon release

9. provide assessment materials score assessments provide certificates provide access to state CRC database provide trained assessors to administer the 3 CRC assessments provide test/test administration security award certificates Southside Virginia Community College

10. SELECTION CRITERIA Enrolled or previously enrolled in a DCE academic, vocational, transition or cognitive program, or a tutor Educational functioning level of 8 th grade or betterin both reading and math based on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Scheduled for release within 1 year or less

11. Over 5,200 Virginia workers have earned their CRCs in the last three years DCE has added over 1000 to that figure within the past year!

12. http://www.crc.virginia.gov/skillsbank/ ZIP CODE PDCs SCORES DATES REGIONS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SERVICE REGIONS CITIES LWIAs CERTIFICATES (LEVELS)

13. Preparation • Conventional Prisons • Usually 5 90-minute classes per week. • Certified DCE instructor plus 1 qualified offender tutor for each pair of students. • Schedule may vary according to institutional needs.

14. Preparation • Community Corrections • DCE program varies with type of institution • Detention and Diversion Centers • 20 week programs • Day Reporting Programs • Non-residential

15. Implementation TRAINED ASSESSORS DEVELOPED & DISSEMINATED -- ● POLICY/GUIDELINES FOR TEST ADMINISTRATION ● MONITORING AND REPORTING PROTOCOLS & FORMS SCHEDULED & CONDUCTED BLITZ TESTING (Central Office Assessors)

16. RESULTS From 12/01/05 thru 11/30/06 1st year of the program- Total Assessed: 1061 Bronze 308 Silver 613 Gold 156

17. Curriculum • Workplace Essential Skills • Aztec Learning Systems • Most pre-GED math workbooks • Teacher-made materials