FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carli Smith
Director of Communications
c.smith@goed.nv.gov 775.687.9903
May 28, 2024
CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is proud to announce that nine students from Elko County School District have successfully completed an innovative Individual Career Mapping (ICM) process, leading to a 100% pass rate on the National Career Readiness Credential (NCRC) exams. This milestone was achieved by seven students from Jackpot High School and two students from Elko High School.
“The NCRC is a trusted signal to Nevada employers that individuals are prepared to enter the workforce and can begin enterprise-specific training. In other words, they are work-ready,” said Karsten Heise, GOED’s Senior Director of Innovation and Strategic Programs.
The Elko County School District relied on GOED’s ICM, integrating virtual reality technology from 3D publisher Lifeliqe and the NCLab Career Readiness Assessment. The process begins with the immersive power of VR field trips, which spark interest in various occupational paths.
“We are thrilled that Jackpot Combined School students successfully used Lifeliqe’s collection of 35 field trips focused on Nevada’s in-demand occupations to advance their labor market literacy,” said Lifeliqe President and Co-Founder Mark Andersen. “So many Nevada employers are hiring and having the NCRC will help these students stand out even more. We are especially honored to be part of this innovative program helping students in rural areas. None of this would have been possible without the ICM leadership team at GOED, the outstanding Jackpot Combined School, the significant effort by the students who excelled in passing the NCRC, and their great teacher, Katie Estrada.”
NCLab assessments help participants gauge their base level capacities for jobs requiring science, technology, engineering, and math skills.
“The NCLab Career Readiness Assessment is a learn-and-apply, hands-on assessment,” said Leonard LaFrance, NCLab president. “The assessment determines an individual’s ability to read and understand written instructions, learn and absorb new information, apply the new information to solve simple problems, and it also measures an individual’s perseverance.”
The ICM curriculum emphasizes the impact of technology on career opportunities, providing participants with insights into real-time job market trends, specific skill requirements, and the creation of their Individual Career Maps.
“I’m especially excited that the ICM process involves preparing for the NCRC, a national hallmark of work readiness and a powerful credential of value accessible to everyone partnering with the library or simply walking through the doors,” said Tammy Westergard, GOED’s senior workforce librarian-in-residence and former Nevada state librarian.
“The Individual Career Mapping (ICM) process is a structured approach to career exploration and assessment of interests and capacity using state-of-the-art educational technology,” said Heather Steel, Elko County School District CTE facilitator and work-based learning coordinator. “We are thrilled with these outcomes and will continue to leverage library partnerships to increase work-based learning opportunities to all high schools in our district. The partnership provides our students with access to earning an NCRC, which provides them with one of the industry-recognized credentials that count toward a College and Career Ready Diploma.”
The success of this program is a result of strategic cooperation involving space and financial resources for GOED-seeded projects from the Nevada Attorney General’s Telkom Settlement funds. Senior Workforce Development Professionals bring their expertise into local libraries, providing a collaborative environment where library information professionals and the community can learn from each other.
“Public libraries in Nevada are stepping up, making these resources accessible to everyone,” said Kassie Antonucci, Director of the Elko County Library System. “No matter who you are or where you come from, you can get in on this and start plotting out your future.”
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About the Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development is the result of a collaborative effort between the Nevada Legislature and the Governor’s Office to restructure economic development in the state. GOED’s role is to promote a robust, diversified and prosperous economy in Nevada, to stimulate business expansion and retention, encourage entrepreneurial enterprise, attract new businesses and facilitate community development.