Author: Samantha Romano

Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom McInerney as the Chair of its Board of Directors.

October 2022 marked the end of a six-month mentorship program where five Virginia Ready Scholars were paired with a mentor in the tech/IT industry, receiving guidance on their career journey. The program was made possible by our partnership with Verisign, a technology company focused on domain name registry services and internet infrastructure. Five Verisign employees graciously volunteered their time and expertise to serve as mentors and invest in the lives of our Scholars.

Navy veteran Anthony Mina was working at Verizon in sales and customer support in Newport News when he realized he wanted more upward mobility out of his civilian career. He received his credentials in December 2021 and now works for HII at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding yard.

It is said that 90% of companies capitalize on the talents and experiences of older workers. Despite the detrimental effects the global pandemic had on our economy, our nation is now facing a pivotal moment in workforce history: there are not enough younger workers to make up for the huge employment gap expected to be left behind by the aging baby boomer workforce.

Virginia’s Community Colleges officially launched the Virginia Infrastructure Academy (VIA) last month, and we have an exciting announcement as well – all VIA programs will be supported by Virginia Ready Initiative! This means students earning their credentials through VIA who apply and are accepted as VA Ready Scholars will be eligible for the $1,000 credential achievement award, career development resources, and job search assistance that are all part of the VA Ready journey.

Did you know that the most common reason why people get stuck in their careers has nothing to do with their education, their skill sets, or their raw talent? “Q,” Career Coach with Lenore Coaching has ideas to help you level up: change, pivot, and accelerate your goals.

The Virginia Ready Initiative’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Talent Task Force was recently held in partnership with Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) and the Virginia Trucking Association (VTA), creating opportunities to discuss and update best practices for getting new CDL students through their Scholar journey and helping them obtain a job in the trucking industry. Over 20 community colleges were represented at the meeting to talk about progress and current industry-wide and regional challenges.

There are only four easy steps to follow when applying to become a VA Ready Scholar: make an account, login to your account, complete the application and submit the application as final. View this blog for a detailed step-by-step guide and a video tutorial!