New Transcript Rates Students’ Work Skills

Responding to concerns that high school graduates don’t have enough job skills, the Orange County Department of Education has created an Employability Transcript to showcase students’ practical skills.

About 2,000 high school seniors from a handful of districts participating in the pilot program will be able to show prospective employers a document that rates their communication, problem-solving and computer skills, said Lorraine Dageforde, business education partnership specialist for the department.

“The traditional transcript that just lists classes students have taken is not useful to an interviewer,” Dageforde said. “There have been records like what’s in the Employability Transcript, but there’s never been any way for people in the business community to access them.”

Businesses can receive the transcript over a fax machine by dialing into an Orange County Department of Education database and entering the student’s transcript identification number. The transcript will be faxed back within about 30 seconds, Dageforde said.

Grade-point averages will also be broken down by subject, allowing employers to see if a student excelled in math, English or social studies. Private businesses, including Disneyland and PacifiCare, provided the funding to develop the transcripts, Dageforde said.

Vital Link-Orange County, which fosters business partnerships with schools, is also working with about 100 small and medium-size businesses to begin using the Employability Transcript as part of the interview process.

“The business side is very responsive to it,” said Meredith Khachigian, co-executive director of Vital Link-Orange County. “They like it both for the skills it lists and the values, like being on time and reliable.”

Officials hope to have the transcripts developed for all students in Orange County within the next four years, Dageforde said.