Program Background

Background

Gratiot-Isabella Regional Educational Service District (GIRESD), based in Michigan, created their own "employability skills" credentialing program they called the "Workplace Citizenship Skills Certification" program, to help their students in grades 9-12 develop and demonstrate employability skills universally needed for career success. Creating their own set of standards, they formally recognize students who meet those standards by awarding them with the GIRESD-issued Workplace Citizenship Skills credential. GIRESD is freely sharing their work to help other schools create their own customizable "employability skills" credentialing program using the framework and resources they've created as a basis.

How the Program Started

GIRESD formed a talent consortium of Michigan-based education and business stakeholders to identify the challenges employers face in hiring and retaining quality talent. The consortium found that the biggest problem faced by local employers was that candidates lacked “employability skills” such as time management, communication and teamwork which are needed in all jobs in all industries.