Concept of ‘Work Readiness’ Credential Gains Supporters

A coalition of business organizations and state officials is working to establish a voluntary “work-readiness credential” that adults— and possibly students—could use to demonstrate their job skills to employers.

The goal is to produce a uniform certificate, recognized across several states, that would offer proof of a worker’s mastery of certain “soft skills,” or the basic interpersonal and decisionmaking abilities essential for entry-level workers across many industries.

An organization called the Equipped for the Future Work Readiness Credential project, housed within the Center for Workforce Preparation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in Washington,...