e-Literacy News
 

A Publication of Florida's Adult

and Family Resource Center

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Ready to work!

The statistics are startling. More than 50 percent of high school graduates lack the basic skills required by most jobs today and 75 percent of today�s workers need additional training to keep their current jobs. A skilled workforce is critical to growing Florida�s economy.

 To build a stronger workforce and to help Florida�s students prepare for work and for college, the State of Florida has introduced Florida Ready to Work, a new program that tests, scores and builds jobs skills and work habits. 

 Florida Ready to Work provides jobseekers of all ages a way to prove to employers that they have the skills required for the job, helps educators better prepare their students for work, and saves employers time and money when hiring. There are three primary components of the program: Courseware, Assessments and the Credential.

 Florida Ready to Work provides free online Courseware to help students/jobseekers build their skills. The self-paced Courseware can be used from any computer, anywhere, anytime. The Courseware has Spanish translation and text-to-speech features to aid learning.

The Courseware is aligned with the TABE, CASAS, the Practice GED, FCAT and other high-stake tests. For students preparing for the TABE and struggling with reading, for example, the program alignments point to lessons in the Florida Ready to Work Courseware that the students can use to build their reading skills. The Courseware is based on relevant, practical, everyday work-related scenarios. It is proven to keep students interested, which in turn, helps students reach their goals and helps educators achieve their performance measures. Use of the Florida Ready to Work Courseware is free and unlimited, so it is also saving educators money by supplementing costly remediation materials.

When ready, the student/jobseeker then takes three proctored Assessments � applied math, locating information and reading for information. Research shows these are the fundamental, work readiness skills that are required by more than 85 percent of all jobs today, from entry level to professional. The program also offers an optional soft skills certification program called Work Habits, which provides proof that a student/jobseeker has the initiative, dependability and customer service skills that all employers need. 

Those who successfully complete the program earn the Florida Ready to Work Credential � a personalized certificate, signed by Governor Crist. The student/jobseeker�s work readiness scores and corresponding skills are printed on the Credential.

Florida Ready to Work is being delivered by adult education and literacy programs, high schools, regional workforce boards, technical centers, community colleges and community-based organizations statewide. The program is free to all Florida residents, employers, and participating education and workforce partners. To help offset proctoring and other indirect costs of the program, participating partners receive a $5 stipend for each Assessment delivered.

For more information about becoming a Florida Ready to Work partner, visit www.floridareadytowork.com. Help your students get ready to work. It�s free!