The Riverside High School Class of 2025’s engineering students have set a new school record for achieving the highest level of certification by a national college and career readiness assessment organization.

Of 118 Riverside engineering students who tested for ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC), 75 achieved “Platinum” certification status. This is a new school record, breaking last year’s record of 64. Two Riverside students not in the engineering program also tested at the Platinum level.

ACT administers a standardized test used for college admissions. It also provides certification in career readiness via WorkKeys NCRC. Six of the 75 students scoring Platinum certification also scored a perfect 36 on the ACT college admissions assessment.

The Platinum level of certification indicates that the student is considered to be qualified for 99 percent of jobs in the ACT database. Thirty-one Riverside students earned the Gold level of certification which indicates qualification for 90 percent of jobs in the database.

According to the ACT website:

The WorkKeys NCRC measures and certifies the essential work skills needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations. With the WorkKeys NCRC, individuals can: 

• Build confidence that their skills meet the needs of employers; 

• Show prospective employers concrete proof of their skills;  

• Apply real-world use to coursework from the classroom; 

• Determine skill improvement and training needs; 

• Improve the opportunities for career changes and advancement; and

• Earn college credit at many institutions and reach academic goals more quickly.