As a major online platform for CTE courses, eDynamic Learning aims to guide students on their journey after graduation. One of their key initiatives in bridging this gap is the Ready for Industry (RFI) program.
RFI helps students explore career paths by providing them with the knowledge they need to thrive in workplace environments. The program helps ease the transition by focusing on practical job skills, as well as boosting their employability. Upon program completion, students have the opportunity to take a NOCTI assessment to validate their knowledge and help them stand out among other entry-level job applicants.
Four states – Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee – have contracted with eDymanic Learning to offer these RFI courses completely at no cost to all organizations who are working with students and other citizens. This statewide adoption in these states offers the advantage of a standardized approach to delivery of skills and knowledge, creating broader recognition among potential employers and opening doors to great opportunities.
Career Awareness and Preparation with Ready for Industry
High school students and early college students often face challenges in determining which career or industry aligns best with their interests and goals. Deciding on a major or where to apply for jobs can sometimes feel like throwing darts at a board and hoping for the best experience.
Sheila Boyington, the co-founder of the RFI curriculum together with her spouse Dr. Dane Boyington, said, “Students didn’t understand the industries that were out there. So how are they going to pick what career they wanted to pursue?”
The creators looked at the highest-demand industries with the intent to provide an overview that would help prepare students and/or learners for actual jobs within the five highest in demand industries:
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Information Technology
- Logistics
- Construction
From there, RFI equips students with all the tools they need to thrive in their chosen industry.
Connecting the Dots Between Workplace Skills and Technical Skills
The RFI program contains self-paced, online courses of 15 to 20 hours for each industry. They can be accessed on any device, so if students have some extra time throughout the day, they can review material on their phones. This type of flexibility helps RFI work with any schedule, including those still in school or with part-time jobs.
RFI does not focus on teaching technical skills specific to these industries. Instead, each course offers valuable insights into what it’s like to work in the industry, explores career opportunities and educational pathways, highlights current issues and trends, and outlines workplace expectations.
Take IT for example. Boyington says, “RFI is not teaching students how to code, but helping them understand the whole industry.” This means demystifying industry terminology like “blockchain” and “AI.” The course uses that foundational knowledge to help students understand what a career in the IT field could look like.
RFI courses also make students more attractive to potential employers by focusing on essential workplace skills. What might an employer expect an entry-level hire to know on their first day that isn’t typically taught in school? RFI addresses these gaps by developing key interpersonal skills such as collaboration, communication, and prioritization.
NOCTI Credentials Provide Tangible Proof of Knowledge
At the end of each course, students have the opportunity to take a standardized assessment aligned with their chosen industry. Students who pass the assessment can add the RFI credential to their resume as a validation of their hard work and their skills. While the assessment is a recent addition to the RFI program, it has quickly become a valuable tool for students to demonstrate their readiness to potential employers.
“While we understand the Ready for Industry courses on their own were valuable, it was important to also be able to communicate that value to employers,” explains Boyington. “And so the way you do that is to offer a credential that then can be used to communicate with an employer that people that have utilized these resources and actually have learned what you want them to.”
Not only does this showcase their skills, but it also shows their trainability. Students improve their job prospects, and employers gain confidence that they are hiring someone who can be successful from the start.
The blueprints for the Ready for Industry assessments provide an overview of the types of information covered by each credential.
Boyington touts the value of these kinds of programs, saying “We’ve really come to a recognition of the importance of career readiness and career awareness that wasn’t there about 20 years ago.” CTE courses, competency-based credentials, and transitional courses like Ready for Industry are helping students focus on real-world skills that enable them to shift from education to career. eDynamic Learning sees the value by adding RFI to their offerings.
How Can NOCTI Credentials Elevate Your Program?
Across the nation, NOCTI credentials and certifications are making a significant impact by enhancing educational programs and validating learners’ skills.
NOCTI works with panels of subject matter experts to develop strong, relevant assessments for many industries. Our in-house psychometricians ensure our assessments are unbiased and accurate, and each assessment undergoes extensive pilot testing and detailed data analysis to maintain the highest standards.
For more information about existing credentials or custom services, contact NOCTI. We’re here to help you elevate the technical competence and employability of your students.