Work Ethic Diploma
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce - Work Ethic Diploma
Preparing Our Region's Future Workforce
In 2000, the concept for a regional Work Ethic Diploma was brought to the Northern Kentucky Chamber by employers that felt students were not completing high school with the soft skills needed to be successful employees. With the input of area educators, business leaders, and post-secondary representatives, standards were developed to measure work ethic in students. To accompany the standards, the Work Ethic Diploma and Career Passport was established and launched with the Class of 2001.
The Work Ethic Diploma was designed to:
Supply Northern Kentucky employers with skilled workers Produce an emerging workforce prepared to face the challenges of a global marketplace Be a filter for hiring and selecting candidates that have demonstrated knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment to work Reinforce the value of positive Work Ethic and commitment to successful employment Recognize a common, identifiable metric of work habits Develop and improve soft skills of Northern Kentucky students
What are the standards?
Attendance
Absenteeism
Tardiness
Community Service/Internship
Discipline
Grade Point Average
Organization
Punctuality
Respectfulness
Teamwork
Since its inception, Work Ethic Diploma has been a great success with nearly 8000 students receiving the Career Passport. Currently 28 high schools across the region are implementing the program.
Each year, approximately 60 area businesses support the Work Ethic Diploma program through involvement during the school year or at a culminating career exploration event.
The demand for strong soft skills, such as work ethic, continues to grow upon the employer population according to several reports on the key attributes sought after in new employees.
Companies value soft skills because research suggests and experience shows that they can be just as important an indicator of job performance as hard skills.
In 2006, the Work Ethic program extended its success to create a similar program for students in grades K-8. Currently around 30 elementary and middle schools are implementing this program.
