Blog and Resource Center

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.

Virginia Ready supports 14 programs within the skilled trades industry including welding, HVAC, and CDL-A, among others. This month’s Talent Task Force brought together VA Ready’s educational and business partners to talk about their latest successes and struggles in the industry, and how Virginia Ready can collaborate with them to bridge the gap between training and family-sustaining employment for VA Ready Scholars.

Dan Wood is a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) Scholar from Roanoke. He received his credentials in the Spring of 2022, but his dream of driving for a living has been years in the making. Learn more about how Dan took his career into his own hands and hit the road with his own trucking company in this Scholar Story!

This month, our soft skills resource series is focusing on time management. Many jobs will require you to balance multiple tasks and responsibilities with various deadlines. Knowing how to manage your time efficiently will allow you to be more productive and less stressed! Check out these resources we curated to jump-start your time management skills:

After over a decade in the same job, Donald Harlow was ready for a change. He harnessed his love for troubleshooting his own devices to learn a new skill, cross over into a new industry, and make an exciting career change. Learn more about Donald’s Scholar journey from occupational therapy assistant to Help Desk Analyst at SAIC in this blog post!

On July 19th, Virginia Ready hosted a Healthcare Talent Task Force, gathering Business and Education Partners to discuss career pathways for credentialed VA Ready Scholars. VA Ready was joined by representatives of the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) and VCU Health who shared a presentation on their partnership, created to address critical staffing needs in the industry.

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!

On June 21st, Virginia Ready gathered our IT/Tech Business Partners and Community College Partners to discuss career pathway solutions for credentialed VA Ready Scholars and non-traditional students.

Quintrel Lenore of Lenore Coaching LLC joined us on June 22, 2022 to explain ways to improve your chances of landing a job with no relevant experience in your field! We’re thrilled to be able to offer the event recording and slides presented here as a resource for Scholars.

In 2021, Genesis Boros was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. A previous environmental engineer from Venezuela with a passion for the hands-on problem-solving work of the industrial world, Genesis set to work reskilling for a career in welding. Read more about her VA Ready Scholar Success Story here!

Business leaders across the state of Virginia met virtually to discuss new ways forward in the recent landscape at Virginia Ready’s 3rd Annual Business Partner Summit. Moderated by VA Ready Partnerships Manager Taylor Beck, the Summit hosted representatives from Capital One, Verisign, Genworth Financial, SAIC, and the Virginia Trucking Association (VTA), as well as Northern Virginia Community College, and Tidewater Community College, among many others. 

Quintrel Lenore of Lenore Coaching LLC joined us on March 23, 2022 to explain the best way to address employment gaps and career changes on your resume! We’re thrilled to be able to offer the event recording and slides presented here as a resource for Scholars.

This video explains how to find and upload your VCCS Acknowledgement of Credential PDF and upload it in order to receive your $1,000 Credential Achievement Award.

On October 20th, 2021, VA Ready hosted a roundtable forum with Business Partners from across the state of Virginia to discuss the issues and potential solutions to the continuing labor shortage in the workforce.

On August 17, 2021, Lenore Coaching hosted a workshop for VA Ready Scholars on how to navigate the job search process to ensure success. Check out the event recording and resources here.

You’ve earned your credential, applied for jobs, and now you have an interview — congrats! Are you ready for the big day? Our friends at Lenore Coaching have put together a resume resource guide exclusively for VA Ready Scholars to help you ace your next interview. Download it to learn more about developing your confidence, researching and preparing for your interview, utilizing the S.T.A.R. technique, showcasing your personal brand, and more!

On June 17, 2021, Lenore Coaching hosted a workshop for VA Ready Scholars on the best strategies and practices when navigating the interview process. Check out the event recording and resources here.

VA Ready and executives from a number of our Northern Virginia Business Partners recently gathered to discuss VA Ready’s impact in the region and the changes still needed in the hiring process so companies can find the talent they need to reboot Virginia’s economy. Read the key takeaways from this energizing discussion here!

Are you a Medical Billing and Coding Scholar looking for help in navigating your job search? This guide features tips and tricks to inform you on ways to ensure this process is simple and effective. We also have included links to other resources that you should utilize during your job search.

From resume and interview help to coping with pandemic stress to financial and digital literacy, here are a list of free support services available to Virginians to help you get through your credential course and take charge of your future!

Wear your status as a VA Ready Scholar with pride! By displaying a VA Ready Scholar badge on your resume and LinkedIn, you’re showing potential employers that you are motivated, tenacious, passionate, and bold. Plus, many of our business partners prioritize VA Ready Scholars for interviews and opportunities, so make sure you’re not missing out on the full benefits of being a Scholar!

Is your resume ready for the job hunt? Our friends at Lenore Coaching have put together a resume resource guide exclusively for VA Ready Scholars! Download it to learn more about curating a resume that highlights your unique knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs); how to feature your credential, coursework, and VA Ready Scholar status; action words that demonstrate how you drive results, and more!

VA Ready held a comprehensive information session on May 6th, 2021 with Germanna Community College that covered: 1) How VA Ready can help you earn a credential in an in-demand industry, 2) Our $1,000 Credential Achievement Award, 3) Job opportunities with our business partners, and 4) How to enroll in a VA Ready-supported credential program at your local community college! Click through to watch the video and read more.

VA Ready held a comprehensive information session on April 30th, 2021 with John Tyler & Reynolds Community Colleges that covered: 1) How VA Ready can help you earn a credential in an in-demand industry, 2) Our $1,000 Credential Achievement Award, 3) Job opportunities with our business partners, and 4) How to enroll in a VA Ready-supported credential program at your local community college! Click through to watch the video and read more.

VA Ready held a comprehensive information session on April 23rd, 2021 with Northern Virginia Community College that covered: 1) How VA Ready can help you earn a credential in an in-demand industry, 2) Our $1,000 Credential Achievement Award, 3) Job opportunities with our business partners, and 4) How to enroll in a VA Ready-supported credential program at your local community college! Click through to watch the video and read more.

VA Ready held a comprehensive information session on April 16th, 2021 with Tidewater Community College that covered: 1) How VA Ready can help you earn a credential in an in-demand industry, 2) Our $1,000 Credential Achievement Award, 3) Job opportunities with our business partners, and 4) How to enroll in a VA Ready-supported credential program at your local community college! Click through to watch the video and read more.

On October 27th, 2020, we hosted our second forum in our Talent Task Force series, this time with a focus on reskilling Virginians for jobs in IT and cybersecurity. The panelists, which included Alex Hardisson from Ernst and Young, Suzanne Hucko from PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Melanie Stover from Northern Virginia Community College, discussed the market conditions for this critical industry, as well as what skill sets job seekers should focus on to be competitive applicants for these in-demand positions.