ACT WorkKeys Solutions for
Adult Education
Increase Employment Opportunities for Unskilled and Underserved Adults
ACT Work Ready Communities (WRC) is a national framework that unites educators, employers, and workforce organizations around a common credential: the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) — a skills-based certification recognized by employers across industries. For adult educators, WRC creates the regional infrastructure that amplifies your students' outcomes, connecting adult learners to credentialed pathways that employers actually recognize and value.
Your Region's Advantage
Give every learner a credential that opens doors
When your region is a certified Work Ready Community, the NCRC carries weight with local employers who have formally pledged their support. That means your graduates don't just have a credential — they have one that is actively recognized in the local hiring market.
Credential That's Recognized
The NCRC is supported by 29,000+ employers nationwide. Help your students earn a credential that translates directly into hiring conversations.
Aligned Curriculum
WorkKeys curriculum helps you build foundational skills tied to actual job demands — so instruction is always connected to real workforce needs in your area.
System-Level Partnerships
WRC membership connects your program to a broader regional ecosystem of workforce boards, employers, and training providers working toward shared goals.
Demonstrate Impact
Quantify outcomes with NCRC attainment data — giving funders, partners, and policymakers clear evidence of your program's workforce impact.
Individuals are entering the workforce without the skills employers need. Take the first step toward closing skills gaps and improving workforce quality with ACT WorkKeys Solutions.
How ACT WorkKeys Benefits Adult Educators
Increase Opportunities for Unskilled and Underserved Individuals
Match Job Seekers’ Skills to In-Demand Careers
Reduce Unemployment Rates in Your Community
Communicate and Connect with Educators and Employers
Help Ensure Learners' Success
Our nationally-recognized workforce solutions empower workforce agencies to communicate and connect with employers and local economic and workforce agencies to meet the demands of local/regional business and industry.
Curriculum
Help learners build essential skills needed for learning, personal development, and effective job performance with ACT WorkKeys Curriculum.
Assessments
Measure learners career-relevant skills for success in the workplace with ACT WorkKeys Assessments.
Credentialing
Offer learners a nationally recognized credential that will get them noticed by employers with ACT WorkKeys NCRC.
Job Profiling
Analyze specific job tasks and link required skill level to pinpoint benchmarks for training with ACT WorkKeys Job Profiling.
ACT Summit
Where Policy and Practice Meet Purpose
For Workforce, K-12, and Higher Education Leaders
Join us at the 2026 ACT Summit in Nashville, July 13-15, where leaders from K-12, higher education, and workforce sectors come together to solve today's most pressing challenges, sharing actionable insights and innovative strategies to shape the future of education and the workforce.
Apprenticeships: Building a Future-Ready Workforce Begins with On-The-Job Learning
What better way to transfer knowledge and close skills gaps than through work-based learning? Open the door of opportunity and career exploration through a powerful combination of on-the-job learning, classroom instruction, and mentorship by offering work-based learning to the future workforce.
On-Demand Webinar: Strengthening Talent Pipelines Using Pathways to Success
Learn how to build learner-centered pathways that connect education and workforce, remove barriers, track impact, and unlock Workforce Pell Grant opportunities.
On-Demand Webinar Series: Driving Economic Growth with CTE and Workforce Policy Innovation
Join ACT for a series of on-demand webinars that will give you a comprehensive understanding of the latest career and technical education (CTE) and workforce development policy innovations, best practices, and strategies to drive economic growth and job creation.
On-Demand Webinar:Â Harness the Power of ACT WorkKeys for Stronger CTE Programs
View this webinar on-demand to learn how you can partner with ACT to harness ACT® WorkKeys® Assessment data to align with employer benchmarks, strengthen program and institutional accreditation, and meet employer standards—to promote a stronger workforce ecosystem.
Measure Educational Gains with NRS-Approved WorkKeys 
ACT® WorkKeys® Applied Math and Workplace Documents Assessments are approved by the U.S. Department of Education's OCTAE for use in the National Reporting System (NRS) for measuring educational functioning level gains in adult education.
Disaster Recovery: Thriving Communities Amidst Challenges
Lead a skills-based economic recovery in your community with tips and advice from experts across the industry.
Job Skill Programs for Reentering the Workforce
Unprecedented skill shortages in labor markets across the United States often intersect with a desire for justice system reform that provides pathways for returning citizens to thrive.
How Educators Use ACT WorkKeys to Empower Work-Ready Communities
Educators strengthen the workforce of their community with skills-based career navigation, talent assessment, and skills development tools aligned with career pathways and stackable industry-recognized credentials.
Ready to Learn More About ACT WorkKeys?
Talk to an ACT representative to get started.