There’s a chance you are stumbling upon this blog post, and it’s your very first time hearing the words “FastForward workforce training.” But we’re actually several years into a program that was established in 2016. Back then, the General Assembly wanted a program to create and sustain a supply of credentialed workers for Virginia’s most high-demand occupations. Virginia’s Community Colleges were charged with closing the skills gap, making training more accessible and affordable and, ultimately, increasing the interest in these vital training programs.
Fast forward (pun, very much intended) to today, and there are numbers to show for it.
As of December 2021, there have been 24,310 FastForward completers employed in Virginia (students who went through a FastForward training program at one of Virginia’s Community Colleges). Those graduates have gone on to earn $2,627,356,092 in wages from 17,560 different employers in Virginia.
Additionally, 33,662 students overall have earned 32,395 credentials that lead to high-demand careers in fields like skilled trades, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, IT and more.
Overall, our programs have a 93% completion rate and a 75% credential rate.
But enough about us and Virginia, what about YOU, our potential next student? According to a recent survey of our latest cohort of completers, when asked about their benefits and satisfaction after going through FastForward:
- 83% are satisfied with their job schedule
- 72% are satisfied with their salary or wages
- 84% are satisfied with the stability in their lives
One student said to us in a recent video interview: “FastForward was the best thing I could have ever done because I could get in, get it done, get into the field and start my life off. Without FastForward, I would still be looking for temporary jobs, working job to job.”
Another said that, “The FastForward program definitely made it where it was feasible to attend school to get a better career that I thought fit me better.”
If you’re interested in moving up in your career, or switching into a new one entirely, contact your local FastForward career coach to get started.