Butler County Achieves Certification as ACT® Work Ready Community

El Dorado, KS—Butler County and the Butler County ACT – A Workforce Enhancement Project announced it has met all criteria to become a certified ACT Work Ready Community (WRC). This national recognition will help support the efforts in Butler County to attract business and industry to the region by utilizing partnerships to develop, attract, and retain a strong workforce pipeline. County Administrator, Will Johnson said, “Butler County is proud of the efforts of our local schools and communities for obtaining this certification. It gives students graduating from Butler County schools a competitive advantage, supports business and industry in the region, and assists economic development efforts.”

This certification is a piece of the puzzle that aligns opportunities for communities throughout Butler County. El Dorado City Manager, David Dillner shared, “This communicates a shared interest by the community to develop strategies that facilitate workforce development opportunities and better prepare our youth with real-world skills before entering the workforce. It enhances El Dorado’s pursuit of the recruiting industry and commercial prospects because companies know the community is committed to providing them with the workforce they will need to succeed.”

This initiative was driven by partners; The Butler County ACT – A Workforce Enhancement Project, Butler County, Butler Community College, the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, Circle and El Dorado Public Schools, and regional employers. This achievement is proof of incredible collaborative efforts throughout Butler County.

Bill Rinkenbaugh, Vice-President of Student Services at Butler Community College, brought this initiative to light after recognizing the value of this certification and shared, ”I brought the information back to Butler Community College to initiate the discussion among Workforce, Economic Development representatives, and School Districts. Thanks to individuals like; Jordan Buxton (Sevenfold) Sarah Hoefgen (El Dorado, Inc.), and Aletra Chaney-Profit (Butler Community College), the initiative took off.”

At the core of the WRC, is the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). This national, portable credential includes three essential workplace skill categories; applied math, workplace documents, and graphic literacy. This certification is provided to every high school junior in the state of Kansas by the Kansas Department of Education. It is encouraged by education partners in Butler County and is recognized or recommended by business partners. KANSASWORKS offers this certification to other job-seekers as well. This resource is fundamental in delivering awareness, exposure, and work-based learning to students and developing a stronger workforce that meets the needs of the local business and industry.

USD 375 Circle Public Schools has been a partner in this initiative since launching nearly 4 years ago. Superintendent, Don Potter shared, “Our primary objective has always been to prepare students for future success. It is no longer sufficient for us to simply graduate students and hope for their success beyond K-12. By utilizing the Work Ready Certification to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, we provide them with a competitive advantage as they prepare for future endeavors.”

The ACT® Work Ready Communities (ACT® WRC) initiative empowers states, regions, and counties with data, processes, and tools that drive economic growth by identifying skills gaps and quantifying the skill level of their workforce. Participants leverage the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®) to measure and close skills gaps and build common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts.

“Congratulations to Butler for becoming an ACT Work Ready Community, and joining a growing list of counties dedicated to building a robust workforce,” said ACT Regional Manager of Workforce Initiatives, Tony Garife. “The efforts of the county leadership to achieve WRC certification will provide the community with a tremendous economic development advantage and help it stand out for its workforce development efforts.” For more information on this initiative, go to www.workreadycommunities.org and view all of ACT’s workforce solutions at www.act.org/workforce