Participate as an Employer
Finally, something you can do about your workforce!
Employers around the country are clamoring for workers with strong High Performance skills like active independent learning, an intention to "knock it out f the ballpark", attention to detail, persistence, and problem-solving mindsets.
Excel Together West Virginia uses a new type of self-paced online course called CSM to build these and other skills like advanced workplace math and informational literacy. This free training (yes, free! in conjunction with WV state education/workforce agencies) can be used:
- for onboarding new employees,
- for preparing employees for promotion to positions that require higher skills,
- for preparing employees for advanced technical training (it also builds key math and information literacy skills),
- for improving productivity -- workers who think and problem solve, who learn faster and more effectively, and who have more confidence, and
- for both white- and blue-collar employees, of all educational backgrounds!
And by recognizing the value of the CSM Certificate in your hiring, you can encourage people in your community to do the challenging work of taking CSM -- this helps build your future workforce.
Excel Together WV provides a framework for doing that, and in return, we'll direct potential job candidates with High Performance skills to your company -- at no cost.
Excel Together West Virginia partners include:
- WorkForce West Virginia
- The WV Office of Adult Education
- WV Community and Technical College System
- Fairmont State University, Glenville State University
- BridgeValley Community and Technical College
- WV Manufacturers Association
- WV Hospital Association
- WV Society of Human Resource Management Council
- Chemical Alliance Zone
Excel Together West Virginia is a non-profit initiative.
The High Performance skills of a 21st Century workforce
Excel Together West Virginia uses an online, self-paced course called CSM that teaches High Performance skills:
- college-level quantitative reasoning
- associated information literacy
- problem-solving mindsets and strategies
- learning agility
- intention to excel, supported by attention to detail and persistence
- deep, earned self-confidence
These are skills that you want across your workforce, in every position.
A survey of members of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association found these High Performance skills are much more highly valued relative to advanced math skills, and are even more important than technical, job-related skills!
The manufacturers also said that these High Performance skills were hard to assess in hiring, and hard to train in existing employees.
Participate in Excel Together West Virginia
Become an Employer Partner
Recognizing the CSM Certificate in hiring
The CSM Certificate certifies the High Performance competencies that you want in your workforce. It's a valuable labor market signal that can help you find employees for all positions who are ready to thrive with great math and information skills, persistence, high personal expectations, learning agility, and self-efficacy - a person's belief in their ability to succeed.
To participate in Excel Together West Virginia as employer, the only requirement is that you allow us to list in our Excel Together WV database that you recognize the value of the CSM Certificate in your hiring. How you express that recognition is entirely up to you: you can inform hiring managers of the value of the certificate; you can guarantee job interviews to anyone who both met the job qualifications and had a CSM Certificate; you can indicate the CSM Certificate as a preferred credential in job ads; etc. There is no cost for this service, and it will give you "first dibs" on outstanding applicants.
By indicating your interest in the CSM Certificate, not only will this drive high quality candidates to your company's positions, this also encourages training providers in your community (after school programs, adult education, workforce development, etc.) to offer the CSM Course, and people in your community to take the CSM Course and improve their skills. All at no cost to you!
Upskill your workforce
CSM helps employees at all positions and levels (frontline or managerial, in production, HR, logistics, marketing, sales, finances, administration, etc.) build the High Performance competencies they need to thrive and grow in their careers.
Excel Together West Virginia provides participating employers with help in designing upskilling programs for their workers. These programs can be voluntary (with or without incentives) or required for certain employees, and can be part of onboarding, promotion pathways, or prerequisites for advanced training. Many of these programs are free to employers through a partnership with the West Virginia Office of Adult Education and grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission given to Fairmont State University and Glenville State University.
In a survey of WV Manufacturers Association members, over 80% said that they would encourage employees to take CSM, and 58% said they would provide incentives (such as extra personal days, points towards promotion, cash bonuses, pay raises, or time during the work week to take CSM).
Lynn White, SVP Education, National Oilwell Varco (Fortune 500 manufacturer)
Remarks about CSM made at the White House
"Our pilot group has indicated that CSM teaches in a manner that is non-threatening and less frustrating with a strong focus on persistence, attention to detail and improved knowledge retention. In short, it teaches our workers how to learn. ...CSM will result in a more confident, self-reliant workforce that ...has a changed mindset from 'Getting the job done' to 'Getting the job done more effectively and efficiently'..."
CEO, Firehouse Subs (1200 restaurants) and CSM Certificate holder
"CSM provides a valuable tool for assessing and strengthening the proficiency of employees at all levels of the organization. As an employer, one can have absolute confidence that a team member who has successfully completed the CSM course will have a solid foundation upon which to build their job-specific knowledge and skills."
Senior Workforce Development Strategist, University Hospitals (Cleveland)
"I was incredibly skeptical of the learning program, but when I saw what our employees were doing and witnessed their success in not only the mastery of the skills of CSM, but then saw their completion of their High School Diploma, after multiple failures of the GED, I was hooked! Seriously, not to be too dramatic, but our employees have changed since doing this program."
Back of the CSM Certificate
The back of the CSM Certificate lays out what a person has demonstrated by completing CSM-- these are the characteristics that employers value in all their employees. We encourage you to view the sections About the CSM Certificate and High Performance, and imagine a current employee or potential job candidate who had learned practical, college-level math on their own and what this says about their ability to learn other skills on the job. Imagine how the attention to detail needed to complete every lesson with100% on mainly fill-in-the-blank questions would help in your workplace. The section on High Performance Competencies outlines these and other characteristics that Excel Together WV can build in your current and future workforce.
Become an Employer Partner!
Free Benefits
- Excel Together West Virginia will provide free talent acquisition services such as directing people in your community who are taking or who have completed the CSM Course to your company and webpages.
- Excel Together West Virginia can assist you in designing a free internal upskilling program.
Option 1: Fill in the Employer Partner registration form
Option 2: If you'd like to learn more about Excel Together WV, or to start a discussion about employee upskilling
Fill out the form below, and we'll contact you to learn more about your needs and explore how Excel Together WV might help.
