WAGE™

Workforce Alliance For Growth in the Economy

WAGE™ is a job readiness training program conducted by the Adult Education Division of the Arkansas Department of Career Education.

Offered through local Adult Education Programs

Supported by local WAGE Advisory Committee

WAGE is Employer Driven

WAGE™ is Trademarked

Exclusive to Arkansas Adult Education

All services provided by Adult Education/WAGE™

AreFrom Taxpayer Dollars

As a Partnership Between Pulaski County Adult Education and the Maybelline Company

Began in the early 1990’s

399,755 Arkansans lack basic literacy skills

Why WAGE™ is Needed

491,863 Arkansans 18 years of age or older function below a 12th grade level

Why WAGE™ is Needed

Some of Our Partners

WAGE Partners

Partners Continued

   The alliance also includes participation agreements with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, chambers of commerce, WIA, human resources associations, local leaders, staffing and training agencies, economic development agencies and boards, as well as other educational providers.

 WAGE™ is based on the same alliance principles

as the

Formerly

Supported by

Job seekers or current employees to earn certificates

WAGE Partners/Employers Refer…

Employability

Industrial

Office Technology

Customer Service I & II

Bank Teller

WAGE™ offersstate-issued certificates.

Certificates are Stackable

CRCHSEEmployabilityIndustrial Office TechnologyBank TellerCustomer Service I & II

Adult Education will help student

Earn All Certificates

Communications, Reading, Math, Writing Computer Literacy WAGE Test Workplace Ethics Teamwork Customer Service Keyboarding TABE Test Spatial Relations Manual Dexterity Mechanical Aptitude

WAGE Certificate Requirements Involve

Participating employers agree to give added consideration to WAGE™ graduates; given all other candidate qualifications are equal.

Some employers such as Albemarle in Magnolia require WAGE™ Certificate for

Hiring

Albemarle Foundation

Presenting check to Magnolia WAGE with

Governor

WAGE™ includes 112 basic skill competencies based on the Secretary’s

Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)

In 1990, the Secretary of Labor appointed a commission to determine the skills our young people need to succeed in the world of work. The commission's fundamental purpose was to encourage a high-performance economy characterized by high-skill, high-wage employment. Although the commission completed its work in 1992, its findings and recommendations continue to be a valuable source of information for individuals and organizations involved in education and workforce development.

http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/

Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary SkillsBackground

Communication Math Reading Writing

Competencies Tested on Web-Based WAGE Test

M1 Reading, writing, and counting single and multiple digit whole numbers.

M2 Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing single and multiple digit numbers.

M3 Using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve problems.

M4 Rounding off single and multiple digit numbers to complete a task or subtask.

M5 Comparing whole numbers to determine variations. M6 Reading and writing common fractions to complete a task or subtask. M7 Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing common fractions to

solve problems. M8 Comparing decimal and proper fractions to determine variation. M9 Carrying our arithmetic computations involving dollars and cents. M10 Reading and writing decimals to one or more places to complete a

task or subtask. M11 Rounding off decimals to one or more places to complete a task. M12 Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals to one or more

places. M13 Reading, writing, and computing percents to complete a task or subtask. M14 Using percents to determine increase or decrease.

WAGE™ Competencies--Math

NOTE: Bold face indicates Core Competencies

Web-Based Test Sample Question

Bill was told by his supervisor to adjust the machine to sixty seven hundredths of a centimeter. Which number below should he use to adjust the machine?

.067

.67

.00676.7

C1 Speaking clearly and using language easily understood by the listener. C2 Speaking to inform another or to provide information. C3 Speaking to inquire or to collect information. C4 Speaking to persuade another. C5 Speaking politely, with respect to cultural diversity, regardless of personal

feelings. C6 Speaking at a rate easily understood by the listener. C7 Speaking at a volume appropriate of the circumstances and the message. C8 Structuring spoken inquiries so that listener responds appropriately. C9 Restructuring a message, when necessary, to facilitate listener

understanding. C10 Using proper telephone etiquette. C11 Using task-related words in the proper context. C12 Using tonal expression to facilitate communication, cooperation, and

goodwill. C13 Using vocabulary appropriate to the circumstances and the message. C14 Understanding the meaning of and possessing self-awareness of body

gestures. C15 Understanding the meaning of and possessing self-awareness of facial

gestures.

WAGE™ Competencies --Communication

W1 Spelling task-related words and abbreviations

correctly. W2 Writing key technical words and abbreviations correctly. W3 Writing symbols accurately. W4 Keyboarding accurately. W5 Entering appropriate information onto a form. W6 Recording essential information that involves more than

one sentence. W7 Recording essential information in phrases or

simple sentences accurately and precisely W8 Transferring numbers, codes, dates, and figures from

written sources onto appropriate sections or a form. W9 Writing a report including necessary support

documentation or classification. W10 Writing brief, descriptive accounts of activities or

transactions performed.

Writing

R1 Recognizing and using task-related words, abbreviations, acronyms, and codes. R2 Identify factual details and specifications within a text. R3 Following sequential procedural directions to complete a task. R4 Determining the main idea of printed media or an activity. R5 Using table of contents, indices, or screen menus to locate information. R6 Locating pages, titles, paragraphs or charts needed to answer

questions or solve problems. R7 Skimming or scanning to determine whether text contains relevant

information. R8 Cross-referencing within a document or program screens to locate information. R9 Using a completed form to locate information to compete a task. R10 Combining task-related information from multiple sources. R11 Selecting parts of text, visual materials, or an activity to complete a

task. R12 Identifying similarities and differences in objects. R13 Determining the presence of a defect or damage. R14 Classifying or matching objects by color, size, or significant marking. R15 Classifying, sorting, or arranging documents. R16 Distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information in text or

visuals.

Reading

The photo is of Ozark Bath House in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hot Springs takes its name from the natural thermal water that flows from 47 springs on the western slope of Hot Springs Mountain in the historic downtown district of the city. About a million gallons of 143-degree water flow from the springs each day. The rate of flow is not affected by fluctuations in the rainfall in the area. Studies by National Park Service scientists have determined through carbon dating that the water that reaches the surface in Hot Springs fell as rainfall in an as-yet undetermined watershed 4,000 years earlier. According to the above text, how much water flows from the hot springs each day?

A. No hot water, only cold flows.B. Four thousand gallons.C. It fluctuates according to rainfall.D. About a million gallons.

Sample Reading Question

Productivity improvements Improved quality Waste reduction Increased profits Safety incidents reduced Customer satisfaction improves Employee retention rates improve Recruitment costs reduced Improvements in employee attitudes Employees show more interest and success at next

level of technical training Employers more competitive

Business Return on Investment

Increased profits = better tax base Increased profits = better wages Better wages retain better employees Better wages = increased spending power Increased spending power benefits

community through better tax base, and economic growth

Improved communities attract good businesses and good employees

Community Return on Investment

The average increase in wages for certificate holders who were employed before earning a WAGE certificate compared to after earning a certificate increased by 17.8% according to data obtained from the Arkansas Research Center in 2012. 

Increased Earning Power

WAGE offers Literacy Task Analysis to Employers at No Cost

LTA’s identify the literacy skills needed to do a specific job

Included in the LTA—readability analysis GLE (Grade Level Equivalent) on specific company documents

LTA Information may be used to customize specific workplace classes

What Can I Do?

Become a WAGE Partner

Refer job seekers to WAGE

Serve on the WAGE Advisory Committee

How Can I Help?

WAGE ProgramArkansas Department of Career EducationAdult Education DivisionThree Capitol MallLittle Rock, AR 72201 Phone: (501) 682-1970

Contact Information