TUCSON, AZ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/11/06 -- Valpar International Corporation announces its new home version of Sigi3, the successful education and career planning software for high school and college students.

Students need a well-defined game plan that leads them to graduation, and then to college or a job. It is a sad fact that too many schools offer no effective career exploration or guidance to their students. The choices for these students are either to do without or do it on their own, which is a daunting task for most young people. Sigi3 fills this void by providing a clear process of discovery that guides students to effective, informed career choices, motivating them to become more engaged in their school work and in planning for the future.

"At a time when we regularly see statistics about the one million students who fail to graduate from high school every year, helping to prevent American high school students from dropping out is a priority for us. Any success in this area is a benefit to the entire community," stated Neal Gunderson, President of Valpar.

Experts agree that supporting career education is key to helping prevent dropouts, and that when students see the connection between school and real life, they are more likely to finish school and have a better chance of finding suitable employment. When they are presented with information about career potentials, they see much larger possibilities for themselves, getting them beyond car mechanic, beautician, or sports star.

"Our goal is to offer career assessment and exploration to the widest population," continued Gunderson. "We want to help students explore viable job options, and get them excited about their futures. When students get on the right track, they make the most of their time in school. And their schools benefit from higher rates of retention and graduation."

Sigi3 provides self-assessments, in-depth and current job information, and assists users in learning more about themselves, expanding their knowledge about careers, and creating realistic educational and career plans that are right for them.

A Sigi3 Individual User License can be purchased for $17.95 at www.sigi3.org/individual.

Originally introduced by the Educational Testing Service in 1970, then modified for Windows and the Internet in 2001, SIGI was purchased by Valpar as SIGI Plus in 2004, and has since been refreshed and renamed. "We were very pleased to add SIGI to our line of products," stated Alex Swartz, CEO. "It was a perfect fit for our company and will help us achieve our mission to make education count."

Valpar was founded in 1973, manufacturing work samples for vocational testing and rehabilitation. Since 1983, Valpar has been a pioneer in creating software products for work-skills assessment, job matching, and career exploration.

Today Valpar has offices in Tucson, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, dealers worldwide, and products in over 8000 facilities worldwide.

Contact:
Neal Gunderson
800-633-3321
Valpar International Corporation
2450 W. Ruthrauff Road, Suite 180
Tucson, AZ 85705, USA
Telephone: 520-293-1510
Fax: 520-292-9755
Online at: www.valparint.com