Area Development

Martin Scaglione has been named president and chief operating officer of ACT's Workforce Development Division. In this position, he will oversee development, sales, and marketing of the company's work force-related products and services.

"More than ever, businesses need tools to help them find skilled employees, while job-seekers require ways to connect and communicate their skills for hiring and promotion," said Richard L. Ferguson, CEO and chairman of the board at ACT. "Martin has been in the trenches, holding various senior management positions for nearly 20 years and has a superior understanding of business needs. We're happy to have him leading our Workforce Development Division."

ACT's Workforce Development Division is responsible for products and services related to increasing the skills and employment opportunities of the work force, including:

· WorkKeys - an employability skills assessment and development system used by businesses and organizations worldwide to hire employees and develop the work force. The system includes validated job analysis and testing for foundational and personal skills, including applied mathematics, reading for information, locating information, writing, listening, teamwork, performance, and job fit.

· National Career Readiness System - a skill credentialing system for job-seekers, powered by WorkKeys, designed to help recipients demonstrate their essential foundational career skills to employers.

· ACT Centers - a nationwide network of more than 200 state-of-the-art, computerized testing centers. ACT Centers offer high-stakes, computer-delivered certification and licensure exams, along with skill assessments and distance education exams.

· Professional Development Services - which develop high-stakes professional licensure and certification exams for client organizations nationwide, including the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, the Association of Social Work Boards, and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board.

 "During the last two decades, ACT has applied its expertise in assessment and development to the work force, and it is on the forefront of shaping tomorrow's business environment," Scaglione said. "I'm excited to be part of a team that is so focused on the current and future needs of the national workforce."

Note: See related article from ACT CEO and Chairman of the Board Richard Ferguson on the "Availability of Skilled Labor" in the August/September 2007 issue.