There’s a lot at stake when it comes to hiring a new employee. Will they have the skills required to do the job? What’s their workplace attitude like? Will they reliably show up to work?
These are the realities businesses across the country are facing when it comes to finding skilled workers. In fact, 69 percent of employers report they have trouble hiring and retaining skilled workers.
FastForward is bringing solutions to Virginia businesses by setting up a pipeline of skilled workers who are ready to change their lives, learn a new skill and earn a good living.
With the cost of hiring a new employee averaging at $4,129, according to Society for Human Resource Management, there’s skepticism and reluctance when it comes to hiring. Students who complete a FastForward program and earn a credential offer something to employers that other candidates can’t prove as easily: the drive to change the course of their lives.
Initiative says a lot about a person and we think that taking the initiative to enroll and earn a credential does, too. Take Nate for example. Life was very different before enrolling in FastForward to learn how to be a powerline worker but he took a leap to learn a new skill and Southside Electric Cooperative took a leap, too. Both Nate and Southside Electric Cooperative are pleased with their decision to turn to the FastForward program.
The FastForward program offers Virginia employers greater confidence in their decision to hire by delivering a pipeline of candidates with the following characteristics:
- Stronger work ethic. A credentialed student is making efforts to change their life and along with that comes a commitment to work. That means working when the going gets tough, going the extra mile, pushing harder to understand the machinery, arriving on time, treating others with respect and more. These are individuals who want to work.
- Foundational training. A credentialed student has completed weeks of training to understand the foundations of the skills required of your industry. This foundational training will save time and allow you to get right down to the training that applies to your specific workplace, shop or factory. And saving time means saving money.
- Hands-on training. A credentialed student learns from on-site training, not just textbooks. Many of the FastForward programs students are learning right from industry experts and practicing the skill right on the floor, in the lab or in the office. A FastForward credential is earned in months, not years, because the student learns the rules of the road where the work will happen once they’re hired.
Most importantly, a FastForward credentialed employee is ready to get to work. They want to be successful, they’re eager to learn about their new employer and excited to contribute to something bigger. Use the form on the left-hand side of this page to contact your local community college to talk more about how FastForward training can benefit your future workforce.