Workforce Development consists of 3 units that work together, leveraging the other’s resources to provide the best possible learning outcome in support of a learner’s immediate and long-term professional goals:
- Skills Instruction: Provides students with professional classroom and hands-on classes that may result in a recognized industry credential (FastForward) or non-credentialing classes that still prepare learners for specific careers (ie, Dental Assisting or Hair Braiding & Weaving). All Workforce learners have access to financial aid, coaching and career services, and supportive resources. Workforce Development also offers customized contract training for businesses, as well as online courses available through ed2go.
- College & Career Readiness: A partnership with the Virginia Dept of Education to provide College and Career Readiness Education to non-traditional students, primarily through:
- Adult Basic Education: Help learners over the age of 18 obtain their high school diploma equivalent, using either GED (General Equivalency Diploma) or NEDP (National External Diploma Equivalent) curricula.
- English as a Second Language (ESL): Help non-native English speakers develop the English language skills necessary to support their educational and professional goals.
- Northstar Digital Literacy: Help increase access to digital equity by providing non-traditional learners tools to master the digital skills needed to work, learn and participate fully in daily life.
- Integrated Education & Training (IET): Grant-funded programming that provides additional supportive services to students enrolled in Workforce classes to help them overcome life barriers to their learning process.
- WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act): A federal program that coordinates employment and training services across a variety of state and federal agencies, resulting in increased access to training, education and support resources for learners/job seekers and individual businesses. Services include:
- Financial assistance for eligible students not receiving Pell Grants that can be used for tuition, books and occupational supplies.
- Serving as the Virginia Works Center for the Eastern Shore in partnership with Bay Consortium, Virginia Employment Commission, and other state & federal workforce-related agencies. As part of Virginia Works, WIOA provides job search assistance, labor market information, resume writing assistance, employability workshops and additional job readiness support.
- Providing On-the-Job Training (OJT) assistance to eligible individuals and businesses, helping to offset employer costs associated with training for new employees, or those working with new equipment or processes.
- Youth Services: assistance to low-income youth up to 24 years of age in accessing the resources needed to prepare for the job market (tutoring, summer employment, mentoring, post-incarceration transition assistance, etc).
Contact Workforce Development at workforce@es.vccs.edu or 757-789-7979 for information or assistance about Skills Instruction or WIOA services.
Contact College & Career Readiness at 757-789-1794 for information about Adult Education or ESL services.
FastForward
FastForward at Virginia’s Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs you want and the salaries you need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification and get you into a career that can support you and your family.
For learners domiciled in Virginia, the state will automatically pay two-thirds of the class cost, and additional financial aid is usually available to help the student (or their employer) pay the remaining one-third. Class costs are all-inclusive, and cover the instructor, class materials & supplies, and taking your credential exam one time. FastForward students who do not successfully complete their classroom requirements may be required to pay one-third of the class cost to ESCC.
FastForward classes at ESCC usually have an academic equivalent, which means you can both earn a recognized credential and be eligible to receive academic credit for the class. Classes are available in healthcare, information technology, cybersecurity, transportation and the trades.
A schedule of classes is available here. Contact workforce@es.vccs.edu for additional information.