ACT and Nation's Community Colleges Launch Network of Testing and Training Centers

Business Wire, Jan 25, 2000

Business Editors

IOWA CITY, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2000

The first wave of ACT, Inc.'s network of computerized testing and training centers will be located at some of the nation's leading community colleges, the company announced today. The ACT Centers will use state-of-the-art technology to deliver services to businesses and individuals aimed at boosting the skills of the country's workforce.

ACT has released a list of 40 host institutions, located in major metropolitan areas from Massachusetts to Washington state, that have committed to establish ACT Centers. In addition, four states, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Hawaii have committed to developing ACT Centers statewide throughout their community college systems.

The network will answer the most pressing need of American businesses today - the hiring and training of qualified employees. It will also give individuals the chance to explore career options and find training programs to help make those options a reality.

&uot;The ACT Centers will be America's number one resource for success in the workplace,&uot; said Richard L. Ferguson, president of ACT, Inc. &uot;If you are a business owner who wants to take your employees to a higher level of skill, the ACT Center is the place to go. If you are a person who wants to achieve career goals, we have the tools you need to succeed.&uot;

ACT Centers will offer a vast library of training programs utilizing computers, the Internet and other emerging technologies. Individuals wanting to improve their careers and businesses needing to develop their employees will be able to access individual or group training in a broad spectrum of areas including:

-- Adult Literacy/Employability Skills

-- Computers and Information Technology

-- Industrial Safety and Technical Skills

-- Management/Leadership and Small Business Operation

-- Professional and Personal Development

Other services offered at ACT Centers will include:

-- Computerized education and career-guidance programs

-- Computer-delivered certification and licensure tests for the

trades and professions

-- Distance learning with state-of-the-art technology

ACT, Inc. is the not-for-profit organization best known for its ACT Assessment, the college entrance and placement exam. During the past decade, ACT has designed strong workforce development programs such as Work Keys(R), which is used by Fortune 500 companies and smaller firms to assess the skills of employees or job applicants compared with the skill levels needed for specific jobs. Results of the assessments provide the company with information on a person's true job abilities and the employee has information he or she needs to determine if more training is needed in order to achieve career goals. Work Keys assessments will be offered at ACT Centers.

The combined services may result in a stronger economy in the communities hosting an ACT Center. &uot;A strong local workforce means a better ability to attract new industry and jobs,&uot; said Ferguson. &uot;Employees with stronger skills can also qualify for higher paying jobs. Everyone wins with better training, and that is ACT's mission in education and workforce development - providing people with the information they need for success in their education and career.&uot;

ACT has established relationships with several organizations that will assist in providing technology and services in operating the ACT Centers. Those organizations include EDS, a leader in the global information services industry.

ACT's goal is to launch 250 ACT Centers before the end of 2001. The first sites will be operational within two months.

You can find more information on the ACT Centers at ACT's website, www.act.org.

                     ACT Center Host Institutions


First Four ACT Center Locations
-------------------------------
Kirkwood Community College                  Cedar Rapids, IA
Middlesex Community College                 Lowell, MA
Austin Community College                    Austin, TX
Westark Community College                   Ft. Smith, AR


Future Hosts of ACT Centers as of Jan. 25, 2000
-----------------------------------------------
Bellevue Community College                  Bellevue, WA
Bunker Hill Community College               Boston, MA
Borough of Manhattan Community Colleges     New York, NY
Calhoun Community College                   Decatur, AL
Central Piedmont Community College          Charlotte, NC
City Colleges of Chicago                    Chicago, IL
College of Lake County                      Grayslake, IL
Colorado Community College &  Occupational Education System
Colorado (Statewide)
Columbus State Community College            Columbus, OH
Community College of Allegheny County       Pittsburgh, PA
Community College of Philadelphia           Philadelphia, PA
Cuyahoga Community College                  Cleveland, OH
Dallas County Community College District
  Bill J. Priest Inst. for Economic
  Development                               Dallas, TX
Delgado Community College                   New Orleans, LA
Delta College                               University Center, MI
Des Moines Area Community College           Ankeny, IA
Eastern Iowa Community College District     Davenport, IA
University of Hawaii, Community Colleges    Honolulu, HI (Statewide)
Hinds Community College                     Raymond, MS
Johnson County Community College            Overland Park, KS
Kentucky Community &  Technical College System                  Lexington, KY
(Statewide)
Lehigh Carbon Community College             Schnecksville, PA
Metropolitan Community Colleges             Kansas City, MO
Milwaukee Area Technical College            Milwaukee, WI
Moraine Valley Community College            Palos Hills, IL
Nashville State Technical Institute         Nashville, TN
N. Harris Montgomery Community
  College Dist.  Houston, TX
Oakland Community College                   Bloomfield Hills, MI
Oklahoma State Regents for
  Higher Education                          Oklahoma City, OK
                                              (Statewide)
Passaic County Community College            Paterson, NJ
Pima Community College                      Tucson, AZ
Portland Community College                  Portland, OR
South Suburban College                      South Holland, IL
Tarrant County College District             Fort Worth, TX
Valencia Community College                  Orlando, FL
West Virginia University                    Morgantown, WV