How the Skilled Iowa Initiative benefits employers

Realizing the success of a business depends upon its employees, the Skilled Iowa Initiative is working to help Iowa employers of all sizes find the right workers.

The statewide initiative encourages job seekers to earn a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) and employers to recognize the certification.

Small businesses becoming a Skilled Iowa employer save time and money on training and reduce turnover by hiring certified workers who will be the right fit. By earning the NCRC, job applicants can prove they are proficient in skills and are pre-qualified for certain positions for which they are applying.

The NCRC measures a worker’s skill levels in many areas including applied mathematics and locating information. These skills are useful in the various job fields Iowa has to offer. A worker’s NCRC score — ranked as platinum, gold, silver or bronze — is useful to employers looking for a worker with the correct skill set for an open position.

More than 15,000 Iowans across the state have earned the NCRC. This assists small business with accessing a pool of qualified candidates and creating a more efficient hiring process. Finding the right employee for your team is a critical undertaking, know the employee is trained and will meet your needs helps lend more assurance to the hiring decision.

Hundreds of businesses across Iowa already promote the National Career Readiness Certificate and seek employees who are certified. Skilled Iowa urges all employers across the state to become a supporter of the program. Visit the Skilled Iowa homepage to learn more about this easy way to grow and strengthen a business and download an employer supporter form today. You can also find Skilled Iowa on Facebook or Twitter and connect there to receive the latest updates.