PCC Structurals, Inc.
Headquarters: Portland, Oregon. PCC Structurals has five manufacturing facilities in Oregon, along with several locations across the country and in France.
Product: Steel and titanium alloy castings used in the aerospace, gas turbine, and medical products industries.
Employees: An estimated 4,500 employees worldwide with approximately 2,700 in the Portland Metro area and Redmond
www.pccstructurals.com

Aerotek Commercial Staffing
Aerotek Commercial Staffing is a member of the Allegis Group family of companies. With over two decades of staffing expertise, Allegis Group has earned a reputation for providing professional talent with the skills and expertise businesses need to succeed. Aerotek's industry-specific focus paired with its dedication to client satisfaction, has made Allegis Group one of the largest and most reliable staffing companies in the world.
www.aerotek.com

Situation
PCC Structural's Portland area facilities use steel and titanium alloys to manufacture complex castings for the aerospace, gas turbines, and medical product industries. It is a business of Precision Castparts Corp., one of only two Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Oregon.

Highly specialized workers need strong foundational skills in applied reading and math, as well as critical thinking and problem solving. The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) plays an increasingly significant role in PCC Structural's human resources processes.

Utilizing the National Career Readiness Certificate
PCC Structurals, in partnership with Aerotek Commercial Staffing, uses the NCRC as one of the factors in identifying skilled applicants for employment. The company collaborates with Aerotek and WorkSource Oregon to connect with these candidates. The company has used the NCRC since July 2010. It has used the program to hire more than 100 people and to identify future candidates for employment.

 "The key to the NCRC is that it procides both the employer and candidate with true actionable feedback. The NCRC has proved to be a valuable resource to both employers and job seekers."
- Chad Hinton, Aeortek Account Executive

Impact
PCC Structurals and Aerotek have identified a standardized baseline of skills desired in new hires. The NCRC provides those making hiring decisions with information about the foundational knowledge of job candidates. Once an applicant earns an NCRC it can be used to design on-the-job training specific to each individual's learning requirements. The NCRC is one of the few programs that provide the job candidates with actionable feedback. Upon completion of the tests, the candidate knows the areas in which personal knowledge improvement may be necessary. Through WorkSource Oregon, candidates have access to tools and programs to make those improvements.

The ability to have prior understanding of a new hire's foundational skill set enables PCC and Aerotek to place people in positions matched to their knowledge base. This leads to increased employee retention and helps to ensure success for the employee and for PCC Structurals.

Headquarters: Redmond, OR
Product: world's leading manufacturer of traffic doors
Employees: 89 at Redmond facilities
www.chasedoors.com

Situation
Chase Doors is the world's oldest, largest, and most progressive manufacturer of impact traffic doors. Chase has earned a reputation for manufacturing high quality products that are both reliable and durable. Chase proudly supports the development of green product innovations and is committed to continued improvements to its product by providing doors that are insulated with Ecomate foam.  

Utilizing the National Career Readiness Certificate
Chase Doors has a long history of working with WorkSource Oregon in Central Oregon. When the company was introduced to the NCRC program, it saw the potential the NCRC offered as a great screening tool and integrated it into the hiring process. Knowing that candidates have skills in locating information and applied math helped decrease the time spent in training process for new hires. New hires who have earned an NCRC have the skills to step into the entry level positions and learn the manufacturing process.

 "Our experience with the National Career Readiness Certificate program has been extremely successful."
- Donelle Snider, HR Manager

Impact
Chase Doors believes that job candidates completing the NCRC have a much greater level of commitment than the general population. The core skills identified through the assessments ensure that Chase is hiring qualified job candidates who need less upfront training. This helps new hires succeed and supports the success of the company. The NCRC assessment process provides objective data that the supervisors and lead worker at Chase Doors can depend on.

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Headquarters: McMinnville, OR
Product: A wide range of hot rolled steel products such as reinforcing bar, wire rod and many specialty products.
Employees: Approximately 400.
www.cascadesteel.com

Situation
Founded in 1968, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills is a state-of-the-art steel manufacturing facility that turns recycled metal into high-quality finished steel products. With its emphasis on quality products, exceptional customer service and competitive pricing, Cascade has been rated the top-ranked mini-mill in the Western U.S. by its customers.

As a subsidiary of Schnitzer Steel, the company has a strong commitment to high performance production processes and energy efficiency. The company offers one of the most dynamic work environments in the steel manufacturing industry and relies on its productive, hard-working team to maintain a competitive advantage in the industry.

 "Helping employees gain and document skills through the use of inductry certifications is an important component of our overall training strategy. The National Career Readiness Certificate fits right into that model and helps validate critical foundation skills."
- Jon Ostling, training manager

 Impact
Cascade has streamlined its hiring process. Employees hired by Cascade have greater awareness of the importance of customer service and quality in the work they perform. Most are comfortable around computers and are tech-savvy, which enhances productivity in a technology-based work environment. They have solid foundational skills, work well in a strong team-based environment and demonstrate a willingness to learn. Supervisors have noted that these employees typically pick up a task after one explanation. In addition to continuing this process for new employees, Cascade is exploring the use of the NCRC for incumbent worker advancement. While hard to quantify, the return on investment relative to the costs associated with the testing process appears high.

Headquarters: Ontario, OR
Product: Frozen food products; Package combination meals; Infant foods and beverages;Processed citrus fruits, and much more
Employees: Approximately 800 hourly and 100 salaried. Hourly employees belong to the Teamsters Union.
www.heinz.com

Situation
Since 1965, Heinz Frozen Food, a division of the H.J. Heinz Company L.P. has produced Ore-Ida potato products and has provided over 80% of the manufacturing jobs in Malheur County, Oregon.

Over the past decade, the company has made significant investments in redesigning and upgrading its production and packaging lines with state-of-the-art equipment. Recently, Heinz launched a lean manufacturing initiative and established a value stream mapping process. The NCRC is used as a tool to help ensure front-line production workers have the skills needed to do the job.

Utilizing the National Career Readiness Certificate
For over a year, Heinz has been using the NCRC as one of its factors to identify and hire skilled workers. In collaboration with a local temporary staffing agency and WorkSource Oregon Center, Heinz is able to connect with qualified applicants. Since utilizing the certificate in their hiring process, Heinz has hired 195 employees.

"The National Career Readiness Certificate is a great tool for assessing current worker skills as well as their future capacity to advance on the job."
- Lon Rose, HR manager

Impact
Quality assurance testing at Heinz has improved dramatically in recent months. An applicant's willingness to earn a certificate serves as an additional factor in identifying motivated individuals who are serious about work. Employees hired since Heinz began using the NCRC as one of the company's selection factors appear to have higher job satisfaction. In addition, internal candidates who apply for promotion improve their chances for success by demonstrating their skills through the NCRC. A next step for the company is to begin tracking turnover rate to see if it decreases as the skills and quality of new hires increase. Heinz is also considering WorkKeys profiles for several jobs to establish a clear production job ladder, which would support the use of the certificate to assess incumbent worker skills.