22 students earn Platinum level certificates

During the 2016-2017 school year, 22 Central Louisiana students earned a Platinum level National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), the highest possible level of achievement. Issued by ACT, the NCRC certifies an individual has the essential foundational skills needed for employment across all sectors of the workplace. 

The complete list of Cenla students earning Platinum certificates is as follows:

·       Richard Bardwell, Tioga High School

·       Jacob Boyt, Natchitoches Central High School

·       Joel Brabham, Oakdale High School

·       Brian Buono, Rosepine High School

·       William Carroll, Pineville High School

·       Hailie Coutee, Pineville High School

·       Tye Dye, Hicks High School

·       Benjamin Finch, Leesville High School

·       Jordan Guillot, Bolton High School

·       Marissa Heard, Pineville High School

·       Lucas Hoskins, Rosepine High School

·       Kristin Jett, Pineville High School

·       Clayton Kendrick, Natchitoches Central High School

·       Sidnie Kendrick, Pineville High School

·       Joseph Mikolaszuk, Glenmora High School

·       Robert Moore, Buckeye High School

·       Will Passman, Bolton High School

·       Hunter Ryan, Alexandria Senior High

·       Keyauna Scott, Oak Hill High School

·       Robert Simmons, Jr., Natchitoches Central High School

·       Jackson Tilley, Pineville High School

·       Christopher Warren, Pineville High School

The National Career Readiness Certificate is a key component of the Cenla Work Ready Network, a system created by The Rapides Foundation in 2011. The Foundation funds this network to link education and workforce development efforts and align them with regional economic needs.

Administered by The Orchard Foundation, the Cenla Work Ready Network consists of Career Ready 101, a web-based, career training course; WorkKeys, a job skills assessment measuring foundational and soft skills; and the National Career Readiness Certificate, an evidence-based credential for workplace skills.

Each component helps students and unemployed or under-employed adults prepare for and measure real world skills that are valuable for any occupation.  The score an individual earns on the assessment determines the certificate level—Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum—they receive.

In total 23,068 Cenla residents have earned a National Career Readiness Certificate in Central Louisiana, with 74 of those being Platinum. Across the nation, only one percent of certificates awarded are at the Platinum level. The Platinum NCRC signifies that the certificate holder is qualified for 99 percent of jobs in ACT’s extensive database of occupational profiles.

To learn more about the Cenla Work Ready Network, contact The Orchard Foundation at 1-800-804-8454 or visit www.theorchardfoundation.org.