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…
Having worked in the construction industry for over 30 years, it’s safe to say Kristin Juvelier has a robust understanding of the field, with experience operating all types of machinery required for different job sites. However, recently, she was faced with a difficult situation: to keep…
With Virginia expected to receive at least $10 billion for infrastructure-related projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, it is no surprise that Virginia’s Community Colleges are working hard to train the next generation of workers to meet the increased demand. The Virginia Infrastructure…
If you’re desperate for a job, we know how hard it is to navigate dozens of applications at one time. When you’re juggling that much, it’s easy to make a mistake. While some mistakes are forgivable, others may cost you the job. “One of the biggest…
As K-12 schools across the country and Virginia continue to face significant teacher shortages, Virginia’s Community Colleges’ Career Switcher Program, EducateVA, is helping fill the vacancies with new teachers who have previously worked careers as doctors, lawyers, pharmacists and everything in between. To better understand how…
It’s a pretty straightforward notion: to advance in your career, you need more skills and certifications to justify the move up the career ladder. There are many training programs within the FastForward programs at your local community college that are natural building blocks within a career….
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…
Sometimes, all it takes is having a positive attitude, working hard and connecting with a good leader to help you accomplish your goals. While higher education can be intimidating, career coaches from community colleges across Virginia shared their best advice for getting started back at school….
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…