Professional Assessments at the Mesa County Workforce Center

In today’s competitive job market, employers’ hiring decisions are driven by skills and backed by data. We provide job seekers with an opportunity to verify their skills using evidence-based assessments, demonstrating effectiveness to employers and providing a foundation for further skill development.

Discovering career pathways that align with work values and interests can guide your professional journey. Assessments also provide objective evidence of skills to potential employers, helping you stand out from other applicants in a competitive job market. Additionally, they allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, further develop your skill levels, and improve your scores over time.

ACT Workkeys System

Personal Skills Assessments: Personal Skills assessments like the WorkKeys Talent assessment and WorkKeys Fit Assessment measure an individual’s characteristics related to the workplace. Job seekers can take the Fit Assessment to find career paths that match their interests and values. 

• Benefit: Identify career pathways that match your interests and values. 

Foundational Skills Assessments: Foundational Skills assessments measure skills that are important across industries and required for workplace success. Scoring well on these assessments demonstrates an enhanced ability to learn job-specific information.  Assessments include: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, Workplace Documents, Applied Technology, Business Writing, and Workplace Observation.

• Benefit: Show employers proof that you have the skills you need for career success, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and work to improve your scores with us.

National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC): The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a nationally recognized credential that job seekers can earn by completing foundational skills assessments: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents. Locally, over 160 employers in Mesa County recognize or recommend the NCRC.

• Benefit: Earn a credential based on your workplace skills. Certificates are relevant across industries and occupations you apply for now or in the future.

ACT Essential Skills: The ACT Essential Skills Assessment is an online test to measure your employability skills, including: collaboration, resilience, integrity, work ethic, creativity, and leadership. Employers everywhere are looking for candidates who have reliable employability skills.

• Benefit: Identify strengths and weaknesses and use the curriculum available to improve. Show employers you have what it takes to succeed in the workplace.

ACT Curriculum: ACT WorkKeys Curriculum is available to build the skills you need to succeed in the workplace. After taking the WorkKeys assessments, job seekers can use our curriculum to build on any areas of growth and improve scores over time. 

• Benefit: Develop professionally in areas employers value, and Improve your workplace skills and scores on the foundational assessments.

SHL Skills Assessments

Mesa County Workforce Center offers more than 1,500+ SHL Aspiring Minds skill assessments. There are typically online exams targeting specific skills; this may include traditional test questions or simulated job tasks. Skill assessments are available in various industries, from customer service to specific software development tools. 

• Benefit: Provide evidence of your skill areas to potential employers. For example, if a promotional opportunity requires experience with Microsoft Excel, you can take the exam and prove your ability to use this tool in the workplace.

How to access assessments

Assessments are free to job seekers who create an account on Connecting Colorado. For more information or to schedule an assessment, please email wfc-professional-services@mesacounty.us or call 970-257-2215.