OBERLIN — Oakdale High School graduate Joel Brabham was recognized Monday by the Allen Parish School Board for achieving platinum level on his WorkKeys test.

Brabham, a freshman at McNeese State University, received the highest level of certification based on his test scores, said Lisa Boudreaux, career and technical education supervisor.

Only 1 percent of the students in the U.S. score at the platinum level, she said.

“There is a lot of recognition for someone to score platinum,” Boudreaux said. “People at WorkKeys really celebrate it because it is very hard to score platinum.”

Brabham is the fourth student to score platinum on the test in Allen Parish since 2015. To attain platinum status, a student must score at least a Level 6 on each of the three core assessment areas, including math.

The test measures a student’s career readiness and real-world skills needed to enter the workforce after graduation, Boudreaux said.

“This is an excellent reference for Joel in the future job market because more and more jobs regardless if it is industry or not are looking at WorkKeys,” she said.

“Many companies use WorkKeys for hiring information because it can tell employers what areas potential employees will do best in the workforce.”

Roy O. Martin and Boise are among the industries in Allen Parish that consider WorkKeys results when considering potential employees, she said.

Students’ WorkKeys scores are rated as platinum, gold, silver or bronze, with platinum being the highest. School districts receive school performance score points for students scoring platinum or gold.