#United States #Virginia #InsideTrack #upskilling

Upskilling Virginia: A Pathway to Careers

InsideTrack has begun a significant campaign in Virginia aimed at transforming the professional landscape for working adults. This initiative, named Upskilling Virginia, is designed to support nearly 1,000 individuals in obtaining industry-recognized credentials at local community colleges, specifically targeting those middle-skill jobs that are currently in dire need of adequately trained professionals. The exciting announcement was made in collaboration with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), reflecting a commitment to help Virginians attain meaningful employment without necessarily holding a bachelor's degree.

The statistics regarding employment in Virginia are profoundly revealing, with about 1.7 million adults — representing 19% of the state’s population — engaged in low-wage, low-skill positions. As Virginia's unemployment rate hovers at 3.6%, a tight labor market highlights the challenge of filling essential roles with candidates possessing requisite skills. This campaign addresses that gap directly by providing necessary skills training and support through local community colleges.

Ruth Bauer, the president of InsideTrack, shared her personal insights on the matter, emphasizing the availability of career opportunities that do not require a four-year degree but still provide stability and potential for career advancement. According to her, “Returning to the classroom with a clear goal can profoundly change one’s career trajectory.” InsideTrack aims to offer personalized guidance to help participants navigate their educational pathways successfully.

The Upskilling Virginia initiative will pair jobseekers with dedicated success coaches who will assist them in exploring career options, evaluating relevant programs, and overcoming enrollment hurdles. With a focus on empowering learners to make informed decisions about their career paths, InsideTrack is ready to coach up to 1,000 participants towards credential programs aligned with essential workforce needs across the state.

To streamline the career exploration process, the campaign will utilize SkillPointe, NACCE's cutting-edge workforce technology platform that has already attracted over 4.5 million visitors. SkillPointe employs AI-driven tools to offer personalized career exploration tailored to individual interests and skills, featuring a comprehensive database of over 50,000 training programs. This platform—a game-changer for career seekers—provides users with information regarding salary expectations, training requirements, and career outlooks tailored to their unique profiles.

By collaborating with InsideTrack, SkillPointe enhances these resources with personalized outreach from success coaches who will connect with users through phone calls, texts, and emails, making career navigation more accessible and tailored.

The initiative will also serve as a broader learning opportunity, producing a toolkit that documents lessons learned from integrating high-quality coaching with state-of-the-art AI technologies, laying the groundwork for expanding this model to other states in the future.

Initial funding for the Upskilling Virginia program stemmed from a generous grant provided by the Strada Education Foundation's Quality Coaching team, exemplifying a collaborative commitment to workforce development in Virginia.

About InsideTrack

InsideTrack operates as a mission-driven nonprofit organization focused on leveraging coaching to support learners in their educational and career journeys. With a history of serving over 3.6 million students since 2001, InsideTrack emphasizes the importance of personalized relationships and evidence-based methodologies in fostering successful outcomes.

About NACCE

The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is committed to promoting entrepreneurship across community colleges with a focus on providing resources and leadership that support growth and success in this expansive network.

For more information on these groundbreaking initiatives, please visit the official websites: InsideTrack and NACCE.