Setting goals is important for achieving new milestones, whether it’s something personal like running a 10k or something professional, like changing careers. Not only do goals encourage motivation, but they also help identify what is important in your life and create an overall sense of direction…
Changing careers can seem intimidating. For so many people, routine and predictability is comfortable, and it’s nice to stay in the comfort zone! On the other hand, change can be unfamiliar and uncomfortable. When changing careers, more times than not, that feeling is temporary, and the…
So, you successfully earned a workforce credential from one of Virginia’s 23 community colleges? Congratulations! Now, it’s time to switch gears and begin your new full-time job: applying to jobs. Job applications can be daunting; there are often many steps, tedious questionnaires, and every employer has…
Virginia needs more welders, particularly maritime welders. The state has not been immune to the staffing shortages affecting industries across the country. By 2023, the American Welding Society estimates that the industry will be short by 375,000 welders. With the average welder 55 years or older,…
Virginia’s Community Colleges are gearing up to train thousands of workers to help rebuild the commonwealth’s aging roads and bridges. The Virginia Infrastructure Academy (VIA) will coordinate, scale up and replicate successful infrastructure-related community college training programs. The goal is to produce a total of 35,000…
Carpentry is arguably one of the oldest trades or professions in the world. For millennia, humans have been working with wood to build homes, cross vast expanses and ship goods across the globe. Over time, carpentry has evolved to include new innovative techniques that require the…
Welding and manufacturing roles play an essential part in our society’s infrastructure and impact our lives every day—from the vehicles that we drive, to the buildings we live in and even the ships that protect us. Experienced welders are highly sought after throughout the country and…
It’s hard to believe that another summer has come to an end, but here we are right on the edge of a new semester. With change often comes nerves. But there’s no reason to feel worried. We spoke with some of our career coaches about how…
To our employers out there, you know better than us that a lot of employee learning takes place on the job, getting their hands dirty and seeing how things are done. As a business owner, you might want to fast forward an employee right to the…
If you are one of the millions of Americans that drives on an interstate for work, school or travel, then you’ve likely passed trucks of every shape and size. Nevertheless, it’s still easy to take the impact of the trucking and shipping industry for granted. According…