Suzanne Ostling is the associate vice president for student affairs at Mountain Gateway Community College. Her journey resonates deeply with students, because as the students around her are resilient in their academic journeys, so is she. She is in the middle of her pursuit of a…
Virginia needs about 40,000 hires over the next decade to build the solar capacity required to comply with the Virginia Clean Economy Act and support private industries wanting to use renewable energy resources. “It’s really an all-hands-on-deck situation that needs people of all education levels” said…
Hindsight is 20/20 for many adults who may spend the first few years (or more) after high school hopping from major to major, or job to job, because they didn’t have a chance to explore what path was right for them earlier in life. But, thanks…
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…
When students have questions, Jennifer Merrill has answers. As the student services manager at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA Workforce Development), Jennifer and her staff of Student Support Specialists help students narrow down broad career goals into attainable steps toward a FastForward credential. Whether students need…
Love is in the air this time of year, and while many people celebrate Valentine’s Day with fancy dinner reservations or weekend getaways, how about showing some love for the talented students and instructors helping to fill the talent pipeline in Virginia’s most high-demand industries. Whether…
If you’re looking to understand what all the buzz around the skilled trades, infrastructure, transportation or healthcare industries is about, you’ve come to the right place. See what makes FastForward special.
2023 was another impressive year of growth for FastForward. Since 2016, the short-term credential program has helped students living in Virginia earn more than 52,900 credentials in industries ranging from infrastructure to nursing. As Virginia continues to experience rapid economic growth and development with recent accolades…