Startup launches workforce readiness game, scaling its Kansas-built talent crisis solution national

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WICHITA — A newly opened, nationwide digital game tournament aims to help students adopt the life skills needed to start careers wherever they live, said Robert Feeney, describing how his Kansas startup adapted its habit-forming software to address the nation’s talent shortage.

Robert Feeney, co-founder of Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS) and Ringorang, speaks at Wichita Startup Week 2022

“The talent crisis is now being looked at through the lens of a health crisis — mental health, physical health and community health,” said Feeney, chief vision officer at Wichita-based Knowledge as a Service (KaaS), the innovator behind Ringorang. “Ringorang has a robust history of tackling serious problems by making the solution rewarding and engaging.”

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Ringorang is based out of the KaaS offices at the Garvey Center’s Page Court building in downtown Wichita, which is home to a growing number of tech startups, like PLOT and Factory Universe.

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A growing body of research over the past decade reveals a “mismatch between employers’ expectations and graduates’ possessed skills” as concluded by a 2023 global NIH study, Feeney said.

Robert Feeney at the Wichita headquarters of Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS) and Ringorang

Ringorang’s national tournament, first developed with students in Wichita, is called Future Ready. It’s played by high school students on their mobile devices or Chrome books for one minute at a time, between one to three minutes a day.

The game includes topics like communication, time management, conflict resolution, dependability, mental health, innovation, and awareness of self and others, which are considered foundational skills that are transferrable to any employer.

Click here to learn more about the Future Ready program.

The Ringorang app notifies students when a live question is available to be answered about employability skills, which are life skills that are valued by employers, such as communication, cooperation, and adaptability. Students can join at any point during the school year and immediately compete for recognition as “Most Improved” and “Highest Performer.” Classrooms, schools and regions also compete for recognition, as well as for prizes like Amazon gift cards and merchandise donated by employers. 

Joslyn Corley, a senior at Magazine High School in northwest Arkansas, was featured in her school periodical as winning a statewide award for “Most Engaged” student in the tournament. 

“It helps us get ready for the future,” said Corley, who said she understands firsthand the challenges students face in small rural districts. “Some kids don’t have this opportunity.”

Garvey Center Plaza in Wichita, home of Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS) and Ringorang

Alicia Constable, a new member of the Ringorang team, became a Future Ready account manager after serving as an instructor and technology coach for Wichita Public Schools.

“There are so many programs and technologies we used at USD 259 to help students get ready for the world of work,” she said. “And, like with all schools, it’s super challenging to keep the students engaged, especially around employability skills. That’s why turning it into a game is brilliant, and that it doesn’t steal time from the student or the instructor, that’s critical.”

Feeney credits the national launch to local institutions for their early collaboration, including WSU Tech and Goodwill Industries of Kansas for being first movers in testing Ringorang in workforce readiness.

“We’re committed to providing career opportunities for individuals who often have multiple barriers to entering the workforce,” said Chris Stanyer, chief mission officer at Goodwill Industries of Kansas. “We love finding innovative approaches like Ringorang to make that transition as smooth as possible.”

Dennis Williamson, board member of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, echoed that sentiment, noting early success for the Future Ready tournament with engaging students in Title 1 schools.

“There’s a hunger in workforce agencies everywhere for solutions that provide effective CTE assessments and also coaching solutions for students with barriers,” he said. “It’s cool to find a technology that does both of those at scale, and it comes from Wichita, Kansas!”

The Future Ready tournament is expected to continue inviting secondary and post-secondary schools to join throughout the remainder of the school year.

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