Area Development

Unfortunately, job seekers can have basic work skills needed for employability and trainability, but not possess the attitudes or personal traits that make them suitable for a particular business. In response to this need, ACT has expanded its WorkKeys system - which is already used by thousands of businesses to help assess potential employee skill levels - to include "personal skills" assessments. These will measure "soft skills" sought by businesses, such as attitudes about work, carefulness, discipline, sociability, and even work-related interests.

"Measuring both foundational and personal skills provides greater accuracy in predicting how an individual will perform on the job," says Martin Scaglione, president and chief operating officer of ACT's Workforce Development Division.