Keisha is proof of what can be accomplished through hard work and sheer determination. The Culpeper resident overcame homelessness while raising a young child to attain two health care certifications and start a fulfilling career as a certified phlebotomist/nurse assistant. In her position, Smith now has…
Roughly 69 percent of employers are having problems finding skilled laborers that match job postings, according to a report by Burning Glass. That means there are open jobs in need of skilled, qualified workers. Employers are seeking people with trade skills outside of a typical high…
Jamaul attributes much of his drive for self-improvement to supporting his family and serving as a positive role model for his two children. After out of high school, Taylor worked for retail and customer service positions as a third-party contractor, but he didn’t find a field…
Think about the coaches you’ve had in your life. When you were younger, maybe you had a sports coach who encouraged you when times were tough and helped call your next moves. As you got older, maybe you had a coach when you were trying to…
No childcare. Lack of transportation. College is too expense. There’s no time left in the day. Thirty-somethings don’t go back to school. These are just some of the worries our FastForward coaches hear when talking to people who are interested in career training. And we’re here…
Terence Song won a lottery and almost three years later, he has graduated from the Southside Virginia Community College Power Line Worker Training Program at Pickett Park in Blackstone, Virginia. A native of Cameroon, a country located in Central Africa, Song had applied for the Diversity…
FANTIC is fantastic, but do you qualify? Woah, WIOA is a great way to pay for training, but are you eligible? There are a lot of grants and financial assistance out there, but figuring out if you can receive the support is another thing. One of…
We’ve flipped the calendar page to a new year. Welcome to 2019! Some people think New Year’s resolutions are a bit of a joke. But for a lot of us, we do take some time at the start of the year to set some goals. “Way…
Life can get in the way of going back to school, but, hopefully, that shouldn’t keep you from investing time in something that can change your life for the better. We talked to our FastForward Career Coaches about hurdles their students have overcome when deciding to…
Matt has been a drone enthusiast for several years. The avid outdoorsman was fascinated by the vantage point that a flying quadcopter could give while out hunting, fishing or hiking – but he soon realized his drone use could go far beyond his weekend hobbies. “I…