Matt McGraw, chief workforce officer at Mountain Gateway Community College, emphasized that there’s nothing else in the world like American community colleges. In Virginia, community colleges work diligently to stay connected to local industries and employers. FastForward’s short-term credential training program fosters this local connection by…
Earlier this week at Germanna Community College, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other state and local officials called Amazon Web Services’ $35 billion investment in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and Louisa counties “transformational,” adding that related community college training will prepare local people of all ages for…
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the luck of the Irish isn’t the only place to find fortune. At Virginia’s Community Colleges, stirring up opportunities, finding a great career and connecting with the right employer isn’t left up to chance. We sat down with CJ Caudill, Director…
Earlier this month, the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education received a $250,000 grant from Transurban North America to support the Virginia Infrastructure Academy at Germanna Community College. Transurban is the operator of 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes – all of which intertwine in Northern…
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…
The demand for trained workers in industries like healthcare and IT continues to skyrocket. According to CNN, the U.S. will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025. With the help of FastForward, Virginia’s Community Colleges are preparing students for local, in-demand jobs for healthcare…
FastForward programs at each of Virginia’s 23 community colleges work hand-in-hand with local businesses to ensure training programs are designed to meet regional hiring needs. In turn, local Virginians have affordable, flexible opportunities to train for in-demand jobs. While our career coaches and faculty work hard…
Like the falling leaves or the bursting forth of springtime blooms, the coming and going of seasonal workers is inevitable. That’s why workforce training programs, like FastForward, are designed to help employers stay ahead of the curve on hiring during busy and slow seasons. Between an…
FastForward is a unique program that exists across all 23 of Virginia’s Community Colleges. In different geographical areas, different industries are more prominent. For example, the shipbuilding industry is big in the Hampton Roads area, but without a coastline, it is not as relevant of an…
“Everybody’s got the same equipment and machinery. What differentiates us from anyone else out there in the marketplace is our people.” – Jeff Stapel Shickel Corporation H.R. Manager Jeff Stapel knows that skilled, industry-credentialed workers give his Shenandoah Valley firm its edge in a very competitive…