The WorkKeys System is based on the premise that people with the desire to increase their skills can do so, given sufficient time and appropriate instruction. Job profiling is a systematic process of identifying the most important tasks of a job and analyzing them to determine the skills and the levels of those skills required for effective performance on that job. Job profiling provides employers with a method of establishing standards to help screen prospective employees and to determine how best to utilize the available workforce. Educators can use information from job profiling as a resource when planning curricula that will target skills needed by individuals in the world of work. Finally, information from job profiling can help individuals identify career goals by giving them a clear picture of the skill levels they need to qualify for and to be successful in the jobs they want.
Assessments enable individuals to identify and demonstrate their personal skill levels.
An examinee's performance is not measured against the performance of the examinees who took the same assessment. Individuals, educators, and employers can use the assessment results to identify the areas which learners or employees need to develop further in order to effectively perform the jobs they want or have. Instructional support is designed to facilitate the development of appropriate curricula and effective instructional strategies for teaching the WorkKeys skill areas. WorkKeys has developed a series of Targets for Instruction that provides detailed descriptions of the cognitive and content skills assessed by the WorkKeys assessments at each level and suggests possible approaches for teaching these particular skills. The targets also include lists of resources for further information.