About Us

Building a competent workforce through creative learning solutions.

Strengthening Education

With over five decades of experience in career and technical education (CTE), NOCTI delivers solutions for increasing students’ technical competence and certifying new and incumbent workers in the private sector. As the demand for skilled workers has grown, we have expanded our services and developed resources to support teachers, administrators, and other CTE professionals. Our comprehensive services and in-depth reporting provide a foundation for data-driven program improvements and student success.

Building Future Workforces

NOCTI builds competent workforces by giving students confidence and credibility in their skills through credentials. As a partner in the CTE community’s efforts to improve America’s workforce, our credentialing solutions are a means to validate skills and ensure future workers are equipped to succeed. We are constantly exploring new and emerging technologies with the focus of improving student’s technical competence and increasing their likelihood of future success.

Our Vision

About Our Vision

“Our mission is to build competent workforces through creative learning solutions.”

Beginning as a group providing teachers with occupational competency exams, we are now a national leader in standardized and customized credentialing solutions. Our success is made possible by our close connection with the CTE community.

NOCTI stays connected to a variety of legislative initiatives and the federal regulatory and non-regulatory guidance that accompanies them, as well as the work of the Data Quality Institute (DQI), Advance CTE, the Credential Transparency Initiative/Credential Engine (CTI), and the NRCCTE. These resources assist NOCTI in maintaining focus on our vision and the ability to share knowledge of where the field is headed with the CTE community. Our desire to meet the specific needs of this community has led to some groundbreaking innovations. QuadNet™, our online testing system, was specifically developed to meet the needs of our customers. Our innovation continues with the development of a learning management system and the launch of a new micro-credential product line.

Our Past Informs Our Future

Our commitment to providing credentialing solutions and resources leads us to explore opportunities in new and emerging technologies. While our history has given us a strong foundation, our vision is guided by a desire to partner with the CTE community to improve America’s workforce. We have no doubt our mission to build competent workforces through creative learning solutions will take us to some new and exciting places. We invite you to join our community as we explore new solutions, curate relevant resources, and provide thought leadership in the field we helped pioneer.

About Us

A Historical Perspective

In 1966, representatives from twenty-three states met to discuss the challenge of certifying non-degreed teachers in vocational education fields. The solution was to coordinate a national third-party effort to develop valid and reliable occupational competency examinations, provide field testing, facilitate continuous revisions, and prepare the needed comparative, qualitative data reporting. This solution was funded through a grant from the U.S. Commissioner of Education through the Bureau of Research. In 1969, the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute was established as a permanent organization to serve a Consortium of States, including legal incorporation with a Constitution, By-Laws, and Operating Policies. Since these early days, NOCTI has functioned as a non-for-profit consortium representing each of the fifty states and the U.S. territories and is governed by a prestigious Board of Trustees. This group of individuals reinforces NOCTI’s expertise in, and commitment to, improving America’s workforce.

1966

Teacher Tests Offered

1980

Student Tests Introduced

1985

Industry Tests Developed

1999

Nocti Business Solutions Formed

2002

Online Testing System Deployed

2004

Employability Skills Offered

2008

Pathway Tests Introduced

2012

College Credit Recommendations Available

2014

Digital Badges and SkillBadge Locker Implemented

2015

ICAC Accreditation (ISO-17024) Achieved

2020

Foundational and Micro-Credentials Released

Board of Trustees

The NOCTI Board of Trustees develops policies and guidelines for the planning and administration of the company and is accountable for the overall program, services, and budget of NOCTI. The permanent organization of the board consists of eleven members and four advisors representing NOCTI’s current customer base.

Executive Board

Charisse Childers

Charisse Childers

Chairperson, Arkansas

Kathleen McNally

Kathleen McNally

CEO, Michigan/West Virginia

Sarah Martin

Sarah Martin

Vice-Chairperson, Virginia

Edward Bouquillon

Edward Bouquillon

Immediate Past Chairperson, Vermont

Patience Lehrman

Patience Lehrman

Secretary, Pennsylvania

Bryan Albrecht

Bryan Albrecht

Treasurer, Wisconsin

Trustees

Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Texas

Tony Oran

Tony Oran

NBS Crossover Member, New Hampshire

Roger Barnes

Roger Barnes

Missouri

Barbara Wall

Barbara Wall

Georgia

Marsha Danielson

Marsha Danielson

Minnesota

Nicole Hampton

Nicole Hampton

Arizona

Advisors

LeAnn Curry

LeAnn Curry

Advisor, Virginia

Clyde Hornberger

Clyde Hornberger

Strategic Advisor, Pennsylvania

Advisor, Kate Kreamer

Advisor, Kate Kreamer

Advisor, Maryland

United States

Consortium of States

Each state/territory is a member of NOCTI’s governing body—the Consortium of States. The Consortium develops broad guidelines for policy-making through its voting membership. The administrative direction and control of NOCTI is vested in the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees by the Consortium of States. Membership voting eligibility is based on subject matter expert nomination and minimum product/service purchases.

Consortium Meeting Information
NBS Full Logo

NBS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NOCTI established in 1999 to provide industry clients with expert pre-employment testing, job skills assessments, prior learning assessments, and certifications. NOCTI and NBS, collectively collaborate with organizations in offering certificate and credential programs, curriculum, and other resources dedicated to the preparation of a skilled workforce. The primary goal of NBS is to help employers accurately assess the knowledge and skills of their employees and potential employees in order to build a workforce that is safe and successful.