10,000th SAGE Assessment Administered

Last month the 10,000th individual was evaluated through the System for Assessment and Group Evaluation (SAGE). The SAGE is a comprehensive assessment system provided as a service of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. Made up of 19 individual assessments, SAGE is used by job seekers, career counselors, employers, and incumbent workers. PIC selected SAGE as its assessment tool for its ability to provided reliable results in identifying cognitive and conceptual abilities, vocational aptitudes, temperaments, vocational interests, learning styles, work attitudes, and work ethic concepts.

PIC has been administering SAGE to its job seeker clients in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties since 2001, utilizing the results to assist the clients in establishing realistic career goals. In 2005, PIC embarked on a structured effort to educate Westmoreland and Fayette County employers and training providers on the value of using SAGE in making better informed staffing decisions. One particular training provider that has found value in using SAGE over the past three years is the Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program, a training provider offering apprenticeship programs for heavy equipment operators and heavy equipment mechanic technicians. This provider's annual recruitment efforts generate over 800 applicants.. They have been impressed with the customized SAGE services PIC has been able to provide, which has enabled them to enhance their selection process with applicable assessments and save administrative time.

This year, David Vybiral, of Pittsburgh, was one of the Western PA Operating Engineer applicants to be assessed. Little did David know that, in addition to the assessments he would take, he would also be congratulated by PIC as the 10,000th individual to take the assessment through PIC. David was congratulated by Terri Campbell, vice president of operations and by PIC president, Tim Yurcisin and granted an American Express gift card.