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From: "Behroozi, Jaleh" <jbehroozi@smtp.nifl.gov>
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Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1429] Press Release
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Press Release
ACT, Inc. 2201 North Dodge
St. PO Box 168 Iowa
City, IA
52243-0168
September 17, 1997
Study Tells How to Move the Low-skilled from Welfare to
Work
NOTE: The executive summary of Extending the Ladder can be
downloaded from the National Institute for Literacy's
website, www.nifl.gov, or accessed from the CASAS website,
www.casas.org, through a hyperlink to the NIFL site.
Copies are available from CASAS Customer Service, 8910
Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123-1104; phone
619-292-2900, ext. 310; fax 619-292-2910.
Iowa City, Iowa -- ACT Inc. and the Comprehensive Adult
Student Assessment System (CASAS)today released a joint
study that describes how prospective workers lacking basic
literacy skills can be brought from welfare programs into a
training system and guided to the higher skill levels
necessary for meaningful jobs and economic success.
The study, titled Extending the Ladder, was supported in
part by a grant from the National Institute for Literacy. It
links the reading and math tests of CASAS' Workforce
Learning Systems, which target the relatively low levels of
skills possessed by many adults on welfare, with the reading
and math tests of ACT's Work Keys system, which targets the
higher skill levels needed to succeed in an increasingly
competitive workplace.
ACT and CASAS joined forces for this study to help
low-skilled individuals gain access to higher-skilled jobs.
The study found that the two organizations' systems are
compatible and together can measure a wide range of skill
levels, thus helping even very low-skilled individuals build
their skills to levels where they have value in the
workplace.
"As the nation tries to move large numbers of people from
welfare to work," said Richard L.Ferguson, president of ACT,
"many states are finding that some welfare recipients lack
the most basic reading and math skills. Without these
skills, prospective workers can't qualify for or keep
even the lowest-paying available jobs, let alone those that
pay a 'living wage.'
"ACT developed Work Keys(TM), a comprehensive system of
workplace assessment and training, to address the foundation
skills necessary in a majority of occupations. The Work
Keys(TM) scales measure the lowest skill levels employers
have identified as appropriate for their jobs. But we've
found that many people on welfare don't even reach the
bottom of our scales."
Pat Rickard, executive director of CASAS, noted that
"Extending the Ladder will help workforce programs
nationally implement a comprehensive system that identifies
development needs from very basic through more advanced
skill levels. It will benefit all those concerned about
increasing the competitiveness of our nation's workers and
more effectively preparing those who want to enter the
workforce. Anyone involved with providing training for
welfare recipients and reducing the welfare rolls will, I
think, welcome this connection between the Workforce
Learning Systems and the Work
Keys(TM) system."
==========
Please check "What's New" on LINCS (http://www.nifl.gov),
for the Executive Summary.
Jaleh Behroozi
National Institute for Literacy
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