Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Company in West Point is investigating employees in possession of fraudulent WorkKeys certificates.
The company has terminated 29 employees due to not meeting pre-employment requirements, including the score of a silver or higher on the WorkKeys assessment, WCBI reported.
The Dispatch left several messages with spokespeople from Yokohama’s Human Resources department to verify that information, but they did not return calls by press time.
The Golden Triangle Development LINK is aware of the investigation though it didn’t have any details about the situation, according to LINK Vice President Macaulay Whitaker.
WorkKeys is a national assessment which measures a individual’s manufacturing skills, including applied math, workplace documents and graphic literacy. It is designed by the makers of the ACT college entrance exams and awards scores of bronze, silver, gold or platinum. Yokohama’s West Point plant requires employees to have scored a silver or higher to apply for a manufacturing position.
Employers can verify certificates on the ACT’s website at http://www.act.org.
East Mississippi Community College in Mayhew is a local administrator of the test. However, Whitaker said it’s possible for individuals to take the exam through another administrator.
EMCC Vice President for Workforce Community Services Raj Shaunak did not return calls from The Dispatch by press time.
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