                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA CAREER READINESS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (§ 2.2-2477)

A. There is created the Virginia Career Readiness Certificate Program (the
Program) to certify the workplace and college readiness skills of Virginians, in
order to better prepare them for continued education and workforce training,
successful employment, and career advancement.

B. The Program may be offered through public high schools, community colleges,
one-stop centers, technical centers, vocation rehabilitation centers, the
Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, institutions of
higher education, and any other appropriate institutions as determined by the
Virginia Board of Workforce Development.

C. The Program shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

   1. A multilevel Career Readiness Certificate and related pre-instructional
   assessment tool to quantify an individual&#8217;s level of proficiency in the
   following measurable work-ready skills: (i) reading, (ii) applied math, (iii)
   locating information, and (iv) any additional skills necessary to meet
   business and industry skill demand;

   2. Targeted instruction and remediation skills training to address those
   work-ready skills in which the individual is not proficient as measured by the
   pre-instructional assessment tool designed to meet identified specific skill
   needs of local employers;

   3. A Career Readiness Certificate awarded to individuals upon successful
   attainment of work-ready skills as documented by the assessment tool; and

   4. A statewide online data system to serve as the repository for Career
   Readiness Certificate attainment data. The system shall (i) serve as the
   administrative tool to administer and help promote the Program; (ii)
   incorporate online services that enable employers to search individual Career
   Readiness Certificate data to determine skill levels and locate certified
   individuals in the state or a region; and (iii) incorporate online services
   that offer individuals tools for career exploration, continued education
   opportunities, job-readiness practice, and job search capabilities. The
   Virginia Board of Workforce Development shall seek to ensure the
   confidentiality of individual Career Readiness Certificate recipients. This
   shall include provisions for individuals, except for employer-sponsored
   individuals, to opt in and opt out of the statewide online data system at any
   test occurrence. Additionally, the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA7; 2.2-3800 through
   2.2-3803 shall be considered in individual confidentiality protections adopted
   by the Virginia Board of Workforce Development.

D. The Board, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall develop
policies and guidelines necessary to implement and administer the Program.

E. The Board shall report Program outcomes to the Governor and the Senate
Commerce and Labor Committee, Senate Education and Health Committee, House
Committee on Labor and Commerce, and House Education Committee of the General
Assembly by December 1 of each year. The report shall make recommendations for
improving the program, including funding recommendations.

HISTORY: 2014, c. 815.