CAD/GIS Students Get Ready For Employment
Basic Skills Testing and Learning Leads to Certification

Computer Aided Drafting and Geographic Information Systems Students work on improving basic skills.

Students in the Computer Aided Drafting and Geographic Information Systems class at the Jo Daviess Carroll Area Vocational Center are adding another learning tool to their arsenal of ways to get ready for work or continuing education. Utilizing WIN Career Readiness Courseware the students take placement tests to determine their current skill levels in areas including Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Work Habits. These areas are three of the ten career readiness areas the  WIN system uses to help students evaluate their present standing and through on line lessons and practice help them improve their skills.

Students in the CAD/GIS class were assigned user names and passwords allowing them to access this on-line resource from anywhere they can get an internet connection. As part of their tasks, students must determine their level of competence in the four areas mentioned above. They are also given additional credit for working beyond the assigned evaluations and lessons.

The WIN Career Readiness Courseware is designed to help students achieve the skills necessary to successfully gain employment in their chosen field.  Developed by Worldwide Interactive Network Inc. (WIN) the WIN Career Readiness Courseware stresses the basic skill sets necessary for successful employment in different fields. The system in based on ACT Inc. Workkeys assessment program. More information about the program and its application nationally can be found at WIN Courseware 

From the  AVC WIN website, CAD/GIS students can research jobs they are interested in pursuing and find the skill levels considered necessary for success in that job. For instance, a CAD/GIS student might be interested in the civil engineering field, possibly working as a civil drafter. Using the Career Center & Job Profiling button on the AVC WIN website a student can search for the qualifications for this position. The qualifications are ranked as levels of competency in areas reflected by the WIN assessment tests and courseware. Students can take tests to see the level they are currently at, and use the courseware lessons to improve their skills.

Dan Harms, the CAD/GIS instructor states, “ I have always stressed the academic skills in my class, especially because so many of the students go on to school after high school. This system helps the students find out where they stand, and helps them see where they need to work.”

Students successfully advancing to higher levels while enrolled in the AVC CAD/GIS class can earn certificates from the AVC and can become eligible for National Career Readiness Certificates. Since the system is on-line, students can keep using the system beyond high school if they go on to a college or university that has the system available.

The system can also benefit local schools in their attempt to meet the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind.  Local school progress is measured with the Prairie State Exams taken by Illinois students at different levels. The ACT Workkeys Applied Math, Reading for Information, and Locating information tests are used for the Prairie State Exams. Harms says, “By having an opportunity to see the tests and the language of the questions, our CTE students will have a definite advantage.  As important, or even more from the CAD/GIS student’s perspective is research showing a strong correlation between this assessment and courseware and higher ACT scores. Since many of my CAD/GIS students aspire to become architects and engineers, any experience that can raise these important college entrance scores is very good for our students.”